WitFit: Spring 2013: Tote
by SammieLynnsMom
Summary: Bella's mother wants her to have absolutely nothing to do with pledging a sororityu, yet won't tell her why. Bella finds herself doing just that. Can she keep things smooth at home? What about the brother's they match with? How does she handle classes and a new found social life she never knew she'd have? Only time will tell for Bella Swan. Rated M for maturity
1. Tote

WitFit Word: Tote

"Mom, it's only a four hour drive to Seattle. I could have picked a college on the other side of the country," I reminded her as she huffed for the millionth time on our drive to the University of Washington.

I knew when I started applying to colleges; UW was where I wanted to go. I liked that it was close to home, yet far enough away that no one would just randomly be in the area without advanced warning. It also had an amazing psychology program, which should have my mom proud since I was sort of following in her footsteps. However, my choice in school infuriated my mother to no end, yet no matter how many times I poked or pleaded, she would never tell me why. In fact, if Dr. Renee Swan had her way, I'd be twice as far away going to Washington State University or some Ivy League school on the east coast. Anywhere but UW would have made her happier.

My parent's meeting was entirely by chance. My mom had driven down to Port Angeles to meet with a possible employer and somehow got turned around trying to get back to Seattle. She hadn't realized it until she saw the 'Welcome to Forks' sign, and upon trying to turn around she was actually side swiped. My father was the responding officer and they say it was love at first glance. For as hard of a woman as my mother became, it's hard for me to envision that, but I suppose she was young and dumb once. She got the job in Port Angeles and my parents were married a mere six months later. I came a few years later and despite my begging for a sibling, it never happened.

Life in Forks wasn't amazing, but it also wasn't bad. I favored reading over sports and had several friends who I came to look at as a second family by the time high school graduation came around. My father got promoted to Police Chief around the time I hit third grade and my mom made quite a bit with the practice she took over by the time I hit Jr. High School. I wouldn't say I was spoiled, but I had the ability to be.

Neither of my parents grew up with much money, and while my dad was a pretty simple guy, my mom was just the opposite. As a direct result, my allowance was always ridiculous and I was still fighting over my 'college allowance' she insisted I have. She put herself through school with the help of scholarships, part-time jobs, and loans. You'd think that experience would make her want to teach her daughter the same hard-life lessons, but I seemed to be her only weakness. Despite my aversions to shopping she liked to treat me like her own personal doll. There are pictures littered all over my parent's house with me wearing big frilly dresses and bows as big as my head. For a small sleepy town like Fork, overkill would be the understatement of the year.

Still I think my parents lucked out with having me. A girl in school had the same type of mother and while I never took it for granted, Jessica kind of spun the other direction. It was also no surprise why she walked at graduation with a baby bump ready to pop. The sad part; it was baby number two. But, while she was wild, I was reserved. She liked the attention, and I hated it. She'd party like it was 1999, and I'd tote around my books. And, of course, while she stayed home taking care of a toddler and an infant, I'm in the car with my mom on the way to freshman orientation. My father was trailing behind us only because they insisted I have my car while at college. I didn't understand it, but they paid the huge fee for having freshman parking so who was I to argue?

"Bella, I know you're excited about your freshman year," my mother interrupted me from my internal musing as I turned into the parking lot, "And, I know you've always had a sensible head on your shoulders. But college is different and I want you to remember what I said, okay?"

"I remember mom," I replied almost robotically as I looked for an open spot to park in. A few seconds later we were parked, my car was turned off, and I had a change to look her way. "I got it, no sororities."

She smiled with a nod before getting out meeting my dad with a smile.

**I guess it's been a while, huh? Yeah, it kinda has, and I could apologize profusely but does anyone really want to hear my excuses? What it all boiled down to was life got crazy. My girl's grew up-I still don't know how that happened and dropped their naps. They're also in this, "I want to sleep with mommy and daddy stage," so I'm now waking up in the middle of the night to nix that. It's been a blast, I tell ya! But, we did move-but not to Georgia like we were supposed to, instead to a brand new townhouse about 10 minutes from our old duplex. Perk? New house. Con? My OCD about keeping it clean is at an all-time high and we had to do all the moving. Never again…like ever. I won't say Open will ever update again, but I also won't say it will. I know where it's supposed to go, how it's supposed to happen, but then I sit down to write and nothing comes out. I've never really had that happen to me before-I used to be able to sit in a Boot Camp session and pound out 4,000 words in an hour and now I can't get more than 2? **

**So, I took a break, and now I'm back. I got this idea because of the recent scandal so it'll come with a few warnings. I did some searches to find other sorority/fraternity stories and while I found a few, I didn't find any with the story plotline I wanted to read. I am reading a few, and they're great, but this is exactly how I came up with BI and MM and Thrifty and Confess and Road. Now I'm trying my hand at it. I have never been in a sorority-in fact, I don't think my college actually had any, though I did go to college. It won't be perfect and I will be researching pieces here and there, but like other 'secret societies,' there are traditions, events…etc, that I'll never get right because they don't talk about them. The letter that has been all over the internet for a few weeks now has been entertaining, and then a friend of mine introduced me to Tucker Max (she reminded her of him) and then I started delving into that. All quite interesting, I'll be honest and it sparked my need to write. **

**If this sucks, it's all on me. No beta, no pre-readers, just a WitFit style story that will not update on a schedule. You may get one chapter every few days or you may get five chapters in a day. As time frees up, I'll write, and won't stop until I need to. Someday's that a lot, someday's it's not. **

**Hope you enjoy it-leave me a review so I can see if people are still following me. I'm also on twitter SammieLynnsMom is my locked account, SLMom_Open is my open one (mainly for couponing and blogging) and of course, my fandom facebook. **


	2. Tissue

Word Prompt: Tissue

Dialogue Flex: "She'll never agree to that."

"Do you feel comfortable being here all by yourself now?" My dad asked, though I knew how to read between the lines. He had been trying to give me an 'out' from college ever since I got my freshman orientation date. Of my parents, he was probably the most emotional about me leaving home. While my mom hated the school I chose, my father didn't want me to go anywhere. I figured by the time they actually left, he'd be using a tissue or two, though I doubted he'd ever let me see that.

Charlie Swan played tough man while at work, but shed the gruff exterior once he'd walk through the door every night. I'm not sure my parents would have worked any other way because my mom was more or less the same. She told me the easiest way to help her patients was to cut off her own emotions to keep a distance between them. She said it gave her vision and clarity, but I had to admit I couldn't relate.

It was true; I was following her path, but not with the same intent. While my mom wasn't fond of small children, or well, children all together except for me, the last thing I wanted was to treat adults. When I chose to go to college and ultimately become a psychologist, I knew children were where I wanted to focus. Their innocence and truthfulness intrigued me over the adults who were much better at acting and faking what they wanted you to know or see.

In the end, my mom argued that adults were easier to read, but she understood that I needed to go where I felt the most comfortable. I think part of her was just happy that I was following in the same major. While I wasn't the girl with the wedding album under my bed and my whole life story pre-written, I did have a fair idea of what I wanted out of life. The husband, 2.5 kids, and white picket fence were appealing aspects in that future, but first came college, then came marriage, as my mother would always remind me. That was an argument I would have never bothered fighting.

As a child, I was easy according to my parents, but I was also determined and stubborn. I just happened to be determined in every way they agreed with until college applications and tours started. My mom shuddered when we came to do my campus tour the summer before, so it was no surprise to see her attitude remain the same as we exited the main building for my dorm room. I had tried cornering my dad a few times to figure out the story of why she hated UW so much, but he'd never crack. I guess if you were going to be the police chief, cracking for your own daughter would have been a bad sign, but still I tried. I knew there was a story, but I could never figure it out. Eventually I stopped asking and was resigned to never knowing, but seeing her reactions again have me curious all over.

Rows of tables lined the sidewalk with people pitching their groups and clubs. I knew rush week wasn't schedule for two more weeks, though I'd never admit to my mom I had actually looked that up. My best friend in high school, Angela, was actually who got me interested in sororities. She started talking about how she'd be a legacy when she got to college because of her families ties to Delta Gamma. Her mom would talk about how much fun they were, what being in a sorority taught her, and how she was excited that Angela was interesting in joining too. Angela and I were a lot alike in regards to be quiet and reserved, but I think we related a lot more because we were both only children. And, if I were being honest, a huge draw of a sorority was the sisterhood it promised.

My parents pretty much walked quickly past all the tables, banners, and people chatting as they turned towards where my dorm was located. Of course, my mom knew this campus better than I did, so I just trailed behind trying to take it all in. I was excited for college to come, but the reality of it all was finally starting to hit. At the end of the day, my parents would be driving away and I'd be left alone. Part of me dreaded that, but the other part, the bigger part really, was excited. And, anytime I'd get homesick I was only a four hour drive from home.

It didn't take long for me to realize I had to pick up the pace to meet them at the door to my dorm room building. It was currently surrounded by a bunch of guys wearing the same fraternity logo on their shirts, which confused me until I got close enough to hear them talking.

"Welcome," the brown haired one with the name tag 'Emmett' said as he opened the door for my mom. "Are there any boxes we can help you with today?"

My mom registered shock before she opened her mouth to speak, giving my dad the chance to talk first. "You know, I think we could actually use some help. What do you think Renee?" he asked, though not giving her enough time to answer, "Those boxes full of books sure are heavy."

"That's actually really helpful of you," I spoke trying to keep my mom quiet. "I'm on the third floor, is that going to be an issue?"

"Of course not," Emmett replied with a chuckle. "We're here to help anyone who needs it regardless of what floor they're on."

"See, it's settled then, Bella, why don't you go up with your mom to open the door, and I'll show these boys to your car," my dad explained as he took two guys with him. I felt a bit of pity knowing the amount of stuff they'd be helping with, but it would cut down on the time of lugging it up myself.

"Oh, uh, okay," my mom stuttered before walking inside.

"Come on mom," I pushed as we started walking up the three flights of stairs to get to my room.

Three hours passed before every box was up to my room and unpacked. My dad wasn't joking when he talked about the boxes of books, and I think I heard Emmett grumbling at one point about having to carry up boxes of books the week before. Of course, the second I looked over at him, he plastered a smile back on his face, but I think he knew that I had heard him. It was Jasper, the guy helping along Emmett that told my dad they had helped move the new President of their fraternity the week before and he also had boxes of books so this was just like déjà vu for them. My mother of course smiled, but it wasn't real, nor was her laugh. My dad asked a few questions about their fraternity, but I had to admit I wasn't paying much attention to the conversation.

Before the guys left they welcomed me to the University of Washington from Alpha Sigma Pi. I thanked them with a small wave before delving back into a box I had been working on.

"Bella, I know you know what I said about sororities, but I forgot to mention something," my mom started to say as she stood next to my door. "Please, don't date a frat boy, either."

My dad chuckled and replied, "She'll never agree to that," before I got a chance to open my mouth.

"Well, why not?" my mom huffed.

"Easy, because Bella isn't going to date at all, right, sweetheart?" he asked sincerely, though I could see the tears already forming in his eyes.

"He's right, I won't agree to that." I looked straight towards my mom. "Or that," I said as I looked straight at my dad. "Now, have a safe trip back and please call me when you get home."

"Oh, baby, I'm going to miss you," my mom cried as she engulfed me in a hug. It wasn't very often that my mom's softer side came out, but it was making me a little teary eyed as a result. "Now, you be good. Mind your studies and call often; we're only a short trip home if you need a break."

"I know," I whispered back to her with a small smile.

"We'll miss you," my dad said before giving me his own hug. I could see the few tears glassing over his eyes, but they left before they had a chance to fall.

I took one look around my room and sighed.

I wasn't initially pushing them out of my room as much as I needed some room to breathe for a minute, and now that I could, the room definitely felt smaller. The car ride up here was exhausting as was decorating my single occupant dorm room. My mom said it would be easier to study, my father felt it was safer. No matter which parent I went to, a single room was all they were paying for despite the massive amount more it cost them. But, who was I to argue? While my scholarships would pay for the bulk of my classes and books, they were footing the bills for the rest.

When I looked over at the dresser I saw an envelope sticking out that I hadn't noticed before. When I pulled the note and wad of cash out, I groaned.

_Bella,_

_I know you said your account had plenty of money, but keep this is for emergencies too. You never know when a card won't work or your pin number gets screwed up or you need tip money for take-out._

_And, don't roll your eyes, which I know you're doing. I love you and remember no sororities. _

_Love,_

_Mom _

When I set the letter down, I realized her emergency fund was $500 worth of twenties. I never felt like my mom was trying to bribe me with money, but this was ridiculous. I stuffed the money in the bottom of my underwear drawer and laid down on my bed, forcing myself to rest a little bit before I went out to venture the campus.

**I forgot some people don't live in the US and therefore, don't see the same stories we do. Google search "deranged sorority letter" and you'll see the scandal I was referring to in Chapter 1. **

**Hope you enjoy and thank you for all the reviews thus far, I know my break was long, but it's been nice seeing some familiar faces and some new ones as well. **


	3. Tank

**Word Prompt**: Tank

After my first night alone in my dorm room I realized it was time to get out and about on the campus while I had the time. My classes didn't start for a few more days, and I knew once they did my free time would be quite a bit shorter so I resigned myself to exploring. I changed into a simple pair of jeans, a tank top, and some flats to enjoy a rare sunny day. I was used to the cold and wet weather of Forks, but I did hear Seattle weather was marginally better.

When I opened my door and stepped out, I was too preoccupied in my keys to realize I was walking directly into a person.

"Ouch," I heard her say as my head snapped up. I was sure I looked like a freak with wide eyes and an 'o' expression on my lips.

"I'm so sorry," I stuttered out, dropping my keys in the process of trying to make sure she was okay. I bent down to retrieve them quickly and looked back at her.

While I wasn't the tallest woman in the world, I had a good six inches on her. Her hair was black and cut almost like Tinkerbell. She was wearing a very flashy dress with some leggings, but while I was taking in the attire of the person I had just mowed down, her expression shifted from dazed to pensive. Her eyes brows were knit together and her lip twisted to one side.

"Are you okay?" I asked, just to make sure she really was.

"Oh, I'm fine," she replied with a melodic voice. "I'm Alice, by the way, and you're?"

"I'm Bella," I answered, "Sorry, I'm new and I wasn't paying attention when I walked out."

"Freshman?" she asked, and I nodded. "Me too." I smiled back, realizing I hadn't mowed down a sophomore or junior or something.

"Well, I was just going to explore, where were you going?" In Forks, I wasn't anti-social, but I also wasn't Miss Popularly either. Before I left Forks I told myself I'd try and get the most out of my college experience so if making a new friend on the second day here was possible, that would bode well for that goal.

"I was about to do the same," she replied. "Do you want to walk around together?"

What I didn't realize was that by the end of the afternoon, I would learn everything there was to know about Alice Brandon. She grew up in Tacoma and came to UW because it was also her parent's alma mater. While she loved fashion and everything about it, she wanted a degree in business so she could eventually open her own shop in the future. Her mom was really excited that she chose UW because she was a Delta Delta Delta alumnus, otherwise known as Tri-Delta, which would make Alice a legacy if she got in.

"What do you mean? How can your mom just outlaw all sororities?" Alice questioned when we sat down for lunch in the cafeteria. Though I'm not sure cafeteria was a strong enough word to describe the massive amount of space and food choices.

"I don't know," I replied with a shrug. "I know there is a story behind it, but neither of my parents would budge on it."

"Do you always follow their rules?" Alice asked with a devious look on her face.

"Pretty much," I answered. It sounded boring, but it was true. My dad was a cop so I always got the standard don't drink, don't smoke, and no drugs lecture, while my mom took to lecturing me about peer pressure, sex, and boys. They'd never really given me a challenge before that I'd want to fight on. Until now that was.

"Are you going to follow this one?" she pushed. Her eyes were glistening and I could almost see the wheels spinning in her mind.

"I don't know. I figured I'd check out a few during rush week and then make my decision," I explained. "I started looking at a few online and I'm definitely interested." It was true, though I made sure to delete the searches so if my mom spied she'd never find them. Tri-Delta was one that I was interested in, alongside Delta Gamma, but I was open to exploring all of the options.

"Then it's settled, we can go to rush week together," Alice announced.

Who was I to argue?

**So today, my internet went down for the 3rd time this week, and while I spent 45 minutes on the phone getting it fixed (whoever said fiber optic was better seriously never had our issues) my youngest decided to take maple syrup to her bedroom carpet. While I ran around trying to clean that up, she then proceeded to fall down a flight of stairs and knock her head on the landing, which was then covered in blood, which kept me in the ER for several hours this afternoon. She's fine, though she'd being treated like she had a concussion regardless of the testing because she puked all over the PA's face after we got there-he was nice, at least. We left in just enough time to get my eldest to cheerleading practice. Hubby docked later than we expected and halfway home his headlights went out, which he fixed 15 minutes later, but my point is-sorry it's short. See ya tomorrow :) **


	4. Bubbly

**Word Prompt**: Bubbly

To say the first two weeks of college were hectic would have been an understatement. While I was able to learn the campus pretty easily before classes started, it seemed I constantly got turned around once it actually mattered. My classes were all very basic and very easy, in fact, a few I had to force myself to stay awake during, but my mom tried to warn me about that. I was able to squeeze in a basic Psychology class, which was definitely my favorite so far.

Alice had turned into a pretty constant fixture as well. When we lined our schedule up, we shared two classes so we always made a point to walk together and grab lunch afterwards. I had to admit, for as much research as I had done online regarding college life, Alice really came through as my true lifesaver, as had her mom.

After she declared we would have to go to rush together, she called her mom up and threw the phone at me. Mrs. Brandon, or Cynthia as she preferred to be called, told me every do and don't she could possible think of.

For started, I did need to revamp some of my wardrobe for recruitment and Alice was more than happy to go shopping with me. However, I also wanted to make sure everyone knew us as Bella and Alice, not Bella plus Alice or vice versa, because we had to stand out in our own rights. She also recommended that I ask questions about why the sisters decided to join their particular sorority, what their major was, and what they liked about the campus, while avoiding any questions about specific sisters, cost and dues, or the fraternities they tended to mix with. A smile was key and I needed to appear honest, open, and friendly, if not a bit bubbly, so that I'd have a better chance of truly seeing each sorority during recruitment. Most of all, she told me to go in with an open mind, despite her obvious loyalty to Tri-Delta. Even though Alice was a legacy it didn't mean she was a shoe-in for a bid, and I needed to be okay with not getting my first or second choice.

After Cynthia's rundown of everything she knew about recruitment and pledging, she told me to call if I had any more questions regardless of whether Alice was with me or not. She knew we'd get assigned a recruitment officer as well, but Cynthia would probably be just as unbiased.

When I got back to my room, after talking to Cynthia and Alice about everything, I called my parents to check in on them. Of course they asked about classes, if I had met anybody, and how I was enjoying the campus, but it made me wish my mom was more open to what I wanted. She asked if I found the envelope, which I confirmed, and thanked her for even though it still made me cringe. She reminded me my allowance was set to auto-deposit the first Monday of every month, and if anything came up, to just call.

In high school, my allowance was far more than anyone else I knew and for that reason I always stayed quiet about it. If my friend's and I decided to go to Port Angeles at the last minute, I'd normally spring for gas or offer to drive, and I never really needed to check in as far as what I spent, because the money came on the same day every month- and like cell phone minutes, the excess rolled over. So, going off to college, I already had several thousand sitting around and now my parents planned to add another thousand every month. I didn't get it. My mom said to use what was needed, enjoy my time, and as long as I kept my grades up, it would be there. I had learned years ago that fighting over it was useless and she said whatever was left could help me get an apartment or house after school, plan a wedding, or whatever. For a psychiatrist, she didn't always make sense, but I knew most of it had to do with how little she grew up with so I tried not to press. Even my dad agreed that it was fine, they weren't going broke over me, and they'd be sitting high and pretty come retirement. Of course, I snorted when he said that, as I knew they'd be prying his badge from his fingers before he agreed to let the job go.

Now, with two weeks of school under my belt and rush week literally hours away, it was time to get serious about the one thing I really hated…shopping. Alice assured me it wouldn't be that bad since she already knew what styles would work for me, so she'd be pulling and I'd be trying on. Of course, I preferred jeans to dresses, but I understood that sororities had a certain look. The jeans would come later, but for now it was time to impress. And, Alice reminded me most psychologists, even those working with children, didn't go to work in denim.

"I actually really like that," Alice stated when I opened the curtain to reveal her dressiest choice so far. It was all black dress with a slight v neckline, a cinched waist, and fabric that flowed down to right before the knee. I took one look at it and shrugged. It wasn't terrible, not necessarily something I would have picked, but it looked okay. "Trust me; you always need a black dress in the closet."

"True," I agreed and changed back into my 'street' clothes as Alice joked about earlier.

Ten minutes later, I was purchasing the last of my goodies before hitting up Olive Garden for lunch.

"So, are you still nervous?" Alice asked after the waiter came to take our orders.

"A little," I admitted. "I just don't want to stumble or plant my foot in my mouth." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I doubt that will happen," she encouraged, "But, I'll be there regardless, so you'll know one person. Maybe even some of the girl's we see in classes and stuf toof."

"That is true," I agreed. "I think I'm more nervous about failing. I mean, my mom hasn't really said anything else about it since they dropped me off, but I feel like, if I get through it, maybe she'll see it as a good thing."

"I wonder if she had a bad experience when she came here?" Alice mused. "I mean, I've been trying to think of all the reasons why she'd be so adamant against it, and all I've got is, she rushed and never got a bid, or she rushed, got a pledge, and then de-pledge for some reason. I'd hate to think she'd get through initiation and then de-sister." Alice's shoulders visible shook as her words came out.

"I can't imagine getting through it all, just to throw it away," I agreed, though she was thinking the same things I was already considering. I knew there was a story, but I knew trying to get it out of her was useless. "Regardless, if I get a bid, I'll have to admit to it all by next semester when they realize I'm not living in the dorms anymore."

"True fact," Alice announced as the waitress brought our salad and breadsticks.

By the time we were done hanging up all my new purchases, organizing the new shoes, and restocking my make-up bag, it had gotten pretty late.

"Tomorrow can't come soon enough," Alice tried to say enthusiastically, but got caught up in a yawn instead.

"Oh, it can." I laughed and then yawned myself. "I'll meet you by the main building at three, right? The meeting is at four."

She nodded her head as I looked at the sheet again just to make sure.

"Bella, you can stare at that sheet of paper twenty times a day and it still won't change times on you," she reminded while I turned to glare at her.

"Well, excuse me for wanting to double check," I scoffed pretending to be insulted.

"Whatever," she played along. "But yes, we'll meet at three which will give us time to get good seats, and then the meeting is at four, it's supposed to last for an hour, and then we can walk around to all the tables. Don't worry, I've got this." She tapped her head for dramatic effect.

"Alright, Miss Know-It-All, off to bed with ya," I said as I opened the door to my room. "Nobody wants a sorority sister with bagging eyes."

"See, you do understand it." Alice smirked before bidding me goodnight.

Maybe tomorrow really couldn't come soon enough.

**It's technically an hour after Mother's Day here, but Happy Mother's Day to all of my reader's who have children. **

**I have to say, my Mother's Day was far better than my pre-Mother's Day Saturday. I had an awesome couponing spree at three stores, relaxed, hubby cooked, and got some cleaning done. Overall, a pretty relaxing day.**

**Thank you for all the well wishes for Baby Alice (though, she turned 3 next month so does that mean she's not really a baby anymore? I'm in denial.), she was quite irritable today which the doctor warned about, but she seemed to have a better evening than afternoon. So far, no new symptoms which was encouraging. **

**I'm sorry for not sending out review replies for Chapter 3-not sure if it's my e-mail screwing up or FFn, but I seriously got a wave of my chapter posting, plus all alerts in an hour time span this evening, despite them being up for hours. Hopefully it's not screwy with Chapter 4, but please know I'm reading and enjoying them all! **

**See ya tomorrow! **


	5. Joke

**Word Prompt**: Joke

"So, are you ready?" Alice asked with a smile when Lauren, our recruitment officer was done speaking. She would be our go-to person for the next four weeks as we got a chance to attend events and parties with each sorority on campus. As each week would pass, we'd start narrowing down our favorites, and eventually, spent more one-on-one time with our top four picks. Then, the nerve wracking period of waiting on a bid call would start.

I nodded and stood up to leave. "I'm not turning back now," I whispered, though it was more for me than it was for her. I loved my parents, I love the life they gave me, but going away to college meant making my own decisions, right? At least, I thought so.

The meeting was easily attended by three hundred girls, but Lauren was very honest about bid time. With ten sororities on campus and each accepting a specific number of girl's, there would be more interest than places. When a girl a few rows behind us asked how many each sorority was taking, Lauren explained that it varied. She knew one sorority put in for thirty slots, while another only wanted ten. That announcement caused a lot of whispering amongst the room, but I tried not to think about it too much. At UW, they only rushed in the fall semester so it was do or die. Or, well, try again next year, but I knew I wouldn't try again if I didn't get a bid to pledge.

The lobby area was loud as girl's seemed to rush to their favorite tables. Alice and I glanced at each other trying not to chuckle, each of us taking in the massive space. Tables lined both sides, each housing four or five representatives from each sorority. Banners taped to the end allowed us to easily pick out who was who, and I mentally tried to think of my plan of attack. Tri-Delta and Delta Gamma were my top two, so I wanted to hit them last. First, because first impressions meant everything and I didn't want my face lost in a crowd. Second, because I wanted to wait for the rush to be over so I could actually talk to them.

"What are you waiting for?" Lauren asked behind us, spooking us both as we whirled around. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You seem to be scouting, though."

"Patience is a virtue, right?" I asked without actually saying that I didn't want to be part of the stampede.

"Something like that," she replied with a smirk. "Good plan." She winked at us both before walking away to observe the room and stand open for anything to approach with questions.

"Right or left?" Alice questioned as she scanned the room one last time.

"I'll start right, you start left," I answered, and she nodded.

From there, we broke off from each other and hit up each table one by one. I was fortunate that Delta Gamma and Tri-Deltas were actually totally opposite of each other, so neither table would notice me spending more time with the other, if they were watching.

Name tags became my absolute life safer as I spoke to each set of sister's for about fifteen minutes each. I heard everything from their motto, to their mission, to their activities on campus, and the community service projects that they cared about most. I was given a calendar and list of events they would be hosting throughout the coming weeks and a list with their rush chairs name, number, and e-mail in case I had any questions.

When I got to the Tri-Deltas table, I felt like my feet were about to fall off. Delta Gamma, while standing as my second choice before I met them, fell almost to the bottom when I came face to face with them. Two of their officers were incredibly condescending to the girl next to me that they were talking to and Victoria, the woman I spoke to, just bothered me. She came off as trashy and bitchy, which didn't appeal to me at all. When I asked a question, each response back sounded like it annoyed her that she had to answer. Maybe they were just having a bad day or something, but I definitely knew I would not be accepting a bid from them regardless of the next few weeks.

So, I was more than relieved to feel like Tri-Deltas lived up to their hype.

"Are you considering Delta Delta Delta?" a blonde wearing the name tag Rosalie asked when I stepped up.

"Actually I am," I said enthusiastically despite my exhaustion from talking to nine previous sororities for the better part of my evening. For the most part, the crowd stayed pretty packed for the first hour and began dropping off in spurts every twenty minutes or so after. When I looked around the room before coming over to the Tri-Delta table, I was maybe one of thirty left in the building with Alice over with the Delta Gamma bitches.

"Well, I'm Rosalie," she introduced herself, "And, I am the Treasurer of the sorority. Here is a packet of information for you to read through, it goes over our motto, mission, the basics, and some of our latest projects. I could stand here and waste ten more minutes of your time reading it to you, but I find the practice to be a bit insulting. I prefer to assume anyone entering college is actually capable of reading."

I wasn't sure how much shock actually registered on my face, but I knew that I smiled. "I think out of everyone I've talked to today, you just became my favorite. If they gave medals for intro-speeches, you'd deserve a high gold."

"Thank you," she held on to the last syllable for a second, and I realized in my shock I hadn't introduced myself.

"I'm sorry, I'm Bella Swan," I apologized. "That was rude of me."

"Well, Bella, our first event is tomorrow evening. We're sharing it with four others, you'll have about thirty minutes at the house before moving, and then you'll repeat on Wednesday with the other five. Dress nice, but casual, as there is no real theme, just a basic social with some food," she explained and I realized she was giving me more information about tomorrow night than any other table had. "If you have any questions, my phone and e-mail can be found in the same packet I gave you, along with directions to the house. Do you have any questions?"

I thought about her question for a second before deciding I would use one of my pre-thought up questions I had planned for the socials. "Why did you choose to join this sorority?"

"Hitting with the big guns so soon," Rosalie replied first, but there with a flicker in her eyes that made her seem amused. "Well, I guess you could say that the Tri-Delta ladies stuck out in a sea of average on my first day. I instantly connected with a few of the sisters and I simply couldn't imagine going through college without them there with me. We have a lot of fun, but we also take a lot of pride in what we give back, and I feel like I'd found a group of girl's I could truly call my sisters without any second doubts. I grew up with a twin-brother and always wanted a sister, so this is how I went about it."

"Thank you for your candidness," I said sincerely since I truly appreciated hearing a first story account of the benefits from someone actually inside of the house.

"You're welcome," she replied. "It looks like we're getting ready to shut everything down, but I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Can you hold on one second?"

"Sure," I answered happily.

Rosalie walked away for a second and started talking to a red head that had also been at their table. It looked like she was coming back from the bathroom or something, but her eyebrows went up as Rosalie spoke. I looked away for fear of staring and pretended to be looking over the packet of papers I had been handed earlier.

When Rosalie walked back over to me she held a silver, gold, and blue bracelet in her hand. "Tomorrow when you come, I'd appreciate it if you'd wear this bracelet," she explained as she placed it in my hands. "Only wear it during Tri-Delta events, as it'll serve as a symbol to our sisters that I believe you need to be one we watch. Each officer is given one bracelet to give out during the first week, and I'm choosing to give mine to you."

"Oh my gosh," I exclaimed quietly before my brain caught up. "Um, thank you, this is amazing. I had no idea this was even given out."

"I'd hope not," Rosalie joked with a smirk. "Very few sororities still practice this tradition and only those who have been given a bracelet or joined our sorority know about it. To anyone else, it's just a bracelet."

I nodded as I understood that this wasn't something I should be flaunting around or bragging about. I placed the bracelet in my purse and zipped it shut before telling Rosalie I'd be seeing her the next night.

When I walked outside I saw Alice waiting on one of the benches talking on her cell phone. She quickly hung up and smiled as soon as she saw me as a dread began to take over in me. As excited as I was to receive a bracelet from Rosalie, what was I going to do if Alice didn't get one too?

**So some facts.**

**#1- When it comes time to give out bids, each sorority goes based off a list they have and once they reach their quota, they're cut off. I've read about pledge classes being as small as four and as big as seventy-two. It seems, most sororities try to bring in as many new pledges as they have graduating seniors...sorta like a replacement for their numbers. **

**#2- Not all campus' pledge during one semester or the other, but some do. Some campus' have rush during both semesters. It varies by school. **

**#3-Like I warned, the traditions are rarely wrote about so I'll be instituting my own in a few cases. Nothing too out there. **

**Otherwise, thank you so much for all the reviews and kind words. My Monday has definitely been a Monday, but I'll see you tomorrow! Hope you enjoy Chapter 5! **


	6. Highlight

**Word Prompt**: Highlight

With our first night of Rush Week officially over, Alice and I both agreed that we were starving, but wanted to be able to talk openly so the cafeteria was out. I offered to drive us off campus to Subway and figured we'd just eat in. It was only seven-thirty by the time we left, but it truly felt a lot later.

We quickly ordered and chose a table in the back corner. The place was pretty dead which gave us some privacy.

"So?" Alice was so close to bursting out of her seat it was comical.

"I think I'll cry if I don't get my top choice," I offered, and she squealed quietly.

"You wanted Tri-Delta and Delta Gamma," she started, but when I cringed after hearing DG's name, she trailed off. "You didn't like Delta Gamma either?"

"No! On my Lord, I wanted to slap Victoria in the face by the time I was done talking to her. She asked like such a snob," I relayed, and Alice nodded her head in agreement.

"Oh, don't I know it," she explained that she had a similar incident. "Which leaves Tri-Deltas as your top then?"

"Yeah, I talked to Rosalie and she was probably the most down to Earth person I spoke to all night. It was really refreshing," I answered all while my bracelet hung in my thoughts.

_Do I tell Alice? Do I not tell Alice? Would Alice already know because of her mom? Should I call Cynthia first? _

"You look confused or something," Alice pushed. "What's wrong? You went from excited to really uneasy in a blink."

"Sorry, just zoned out for a second. What did you think of everyone?" I asked to try and change the subject, but I could tell by Alice's expression she wasn't letting it go for long.

"Well, obviously I talked to everyone because it would have been rude otherwise, but I want in Tri-Delta, but I thought the Sigma girls were nice," she answered.

"Yeah, I thought so too. I think for top two I have right now is Tri-Delta and Sigma," I said between bites of my sub. "But, of course, once we get to meet more of the sister's, that is subject to change."

"Of course, but I really don't plan on hitting all five parties tomorrow," Alice warned me.

"Is it bad that I didn't want to go to all five?" I asked, and she laughed along with me.

"Well, Tri-Delta is tomorrow, as is Sigma and maybe we could do Alpha Omega just because they seem manageable, but I am not going to DG's," she stated very dramatically.

"Then we're in agreement, though I wanted to ask you. I know it's supposed to be thirty minutes and move out, but what if we want to stay later? Is that possible?" I asked, and Alice nodded her head thoughtfully.

"I think so," she started. "I mean, all of the houses will be open for the two and a half hour block and it's sort of at our own leisure. I figure if everyone shows up at Tri's house just because they're first on the list, maybe we should go over to Sigma's until the crowd shows and whatnot. It's not so much cattle call as it was today, at least, according to my mom. Maybe we should e-mail Lauren?"

"Maybe," I trailed off still internally debating the bracelet in my head. Alice was the closest thing to a best friend I had on campus and I didn't want to jeopardize that, while at the same time, I didn't want her to think I was trying to be showy either.

I decided to let it hang as we finished our food and continued to make small talk about who we liked, who we didn't, and who we couldn't stand. It seems like the highlights for us both were the same sororities which was good because even though we were rushing separately, we really did want to pledge together.

Once we got back in the car and I pulled out I decided it was now or never.

"So, I was thinking we should revamp my outfit for tomorrow," I started nervously. "We had the green and white picked out, but I was given something to wear at one of the houses and I don't want it to stand out too badly."

I let my words hang for a second as Alice went quiet before I could see her turning her head towards me.

"Did you get a bracelet, Bella?" she questioned me with a sly tone.

"Um, yes." Short and sweet and to the point. Like a bandaid.

"Did your bracelet come from the Tri-Delta's?" Alice continued to interrogate me as I nodded. And then, she screamed. "Oh my God! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Who gave it to you? What did they say? I have to hear it all, do you know what this means?"

I waited for her to breathe before interjected that I really wasn't sure the severity of the action.

"Bella! This means that you're almost guaranteed a bid! And, whoever gave you your bracelet will more than likely be the big to your little. This is so awesome, I don't know what you said, but as long as you don't shove your foot in your mouth, you're in," Alice continued to go on and on and on. I stayed quiet listening to every word while refusing to get overly excited. I could still not get a bid, and I knew it would crush me more if I expected one and then didn't get one.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Alice asked as I looked for a parking spot ten minutes later once she managed to stop freaking out.

"I was nervous that you would be upset," I explained quietly.

"Don't be nervous, silly. They can't give me a bracelet because I already have one from my mom. I only didn't tell you about them because I didn't want you to psych yourself out or something, but the difference is mine has a 'L' on it to signify that I'm a legacy," Alice admitted and I had to admit, it made me breathe a whole lot easier.

"Well, it's settled then," Alice began before opening her car door. "Come hell or high water, we're pledging Tri-Delta together. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

**I couldn't sleep, so I'll see you again tomorrow. Next up is some partying...wonder who our girl's will meet there? **


	7. Hurt

**Word Prompt**: Hurt

"So, I heard back from Lauren," Alice started to explain the second she entered my room. It was the night of our first official party as rushees, and I was still getting ready. "She said, that while we don't have to attend each party individually, she is required to inform us that by ignoring certain sororities, especially so soon, it could lead us to disappointment if we don't get bid offers from out top choice. So, she recommends that we make an appearance at each so we don't hurt anyone's feelings, and she'll be addressing this before we're released."

"Okay, so we're going to all then?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and she merely shrugged. "I suppose it wouldn't kill us to start from the bottom and work our way up, right? Maybe spend like ten minutes max at the places we don't want to be, thirty minutes where we do?"

"That's not a bad plan," Alice agreed before motioning for my brush. "Your make-up skills are far better than your skills with hair. Why is it so long if you can't put it up?"

"I don't know," I answered. "At home, it would always be in a pony or a messy bun. Maybe I should get it cut?"

"Nah," Alice disagreed. "Long hair suits you. I'm just going to have to teach you how to better style it." She let out a chuckle before sweeping it half up and into a weird braid thing.

We left my dorm room about thirty minutes later and met up with the other rushees at the main building we had our meeting in the previous day. While the tables were still set up to represent each sorority, they sat empty as everyone prepared for tonight's events.

"Good evening, ladies," Lauren said into the microphone a few minutes after we arrived and found our seats. "I'm going to keep this short. Tonight and tomorrow night are about getting to know the sorority and the house. Mingle and be social, ask questions you have, and decide where you think you'll fit best. That doesn't mean snub the houses where you absolutely don't want a bid either, because for next week's events you'll be cutting three sororities from your lists and they'll be doing the same on a much larger scale. Come next week, each house will have a top one-hundred and only those ladies will be invited back to their events until the next cut, and then we'll be close to bid time. Showing favoritism rarely wins. Now, have fun, be safe, act responsibly, and have a good time."

She released the class shortly thereafter and reminded us this week was sober events. That would mean no drinking, even if you were of-age, at any sorority function. Neither Alice nor I were of age, so it didn't really apply to us, but that also meant no alcohol for the sister's either.

Alice and I hung back for a few minutes and went down the list. "Fine, we'll hit all five," she whispered, "But we'll end the night at Tri-Deltas, agreed?"

"Agreed," I replied as we headed off to the bitches of Delta Gamma.

I would be lying if I said I disliked the DG girl's as much as I thought I would. I still didn't really like them, but overall, they seemed like a fun bunch of girl's. Not really my brand of fun, but fun nonetheless. Alice and I only spent about fifteen minutes, before moving over to Alpha Omega.

The AO girl's didn't strike me as fun when I talked to them the night before. They seemed nice, they had the standard speech, but nothing stuck out, and it's exactly what I'd say about their party. It was just fine, but I wanted more than average.

What surprised me was how fast I got turned off at the Zeta house. The girl's, who had otherwise seemed nice the night before, had transformed into much ditzy versions of themselves. Trying to ask questions posed to be difficult and I never felt like I got a straight answer.

The Sigma house was nice, welcoming, everyone was friendly, and I think if push came to shove, I could easily see myself becoming one of them. While they weren't my top pick, they were in my top two, so I did make an effort and even stayed a bit longer than I expected because I got myself wrapped into a conversation about my major and why I picked it. When Alice walked up, I introduced her to Lindsay, the girl I had been talking to, but looked at the time and apologized for having to 'make the rounds'.

"Don't apologize," she said sweetly. "We've all been there, have a great night, and hopefully we'll see you again soon."

"Of course, it was really nice meeting you," I exclaimed happily before turning and walking away with Alice.

"You looked comfortable," she said once we got out of earshot.

"They have a nice house," I replied with a shrug, as we rounded the corner for the Tri-Delta house. I glanced at my watch to see we had a little over an hour until the end of the night, which would give me plenty of time to poke around. As we walked down the street, both of us pulled out our respective bracelets and slipped them onto our wrists. Once I saw Alice's I saw what she meant by the 'L' being the only difference. The center bead was pretty hard to miss.

"Welcome ladies," Rosalie greeted us when we hit the walkway. "It was starting to get quiet for a minute, I wondered if you were still going to show."

"Sorry, we figured we'd go bottom to top so we weren't in the crowd the whole time," I explained as she nodded thoughtfully.

"I don't blame you there. I remember when it was my time to rush, though the rules were stricter then. You were assigned a group and had to stay with only them throughout the night. I was happy that the office allowed us to get away from that the next year," she retold her story as we hit the front door. "The party tonight is out back, though I think everyone else was using their front lawn. We have the bigger back yard and our main room goes straight to the main kitchen and the backyard, so follow me."

Alice and I trailed Rosalie by a few steps as we entered the house, but I know I slowed down to take in the massive room once we were inside. I thought I heard Alice chuckle, but it was plain for me to see that the Tri-Delta house was not built with the same layout as the previous houses I had gone in. My eyes flickered from the décor, to the furnishing, to the state of the art kitchen, to the backdoor all while I continued to walk at a snail's pace.

"Come on, Bella. The party is outback," Alice teased me quietly as I got my bearings back.

"I really like this house," I whispered to her before turning my attention to Rosalie. "How many rooms does the house have, Rosalie?"

"Well, there are twelve bedrooms, eight bathrooms, the basement, the main kitchen, two kitchenette's, a game room, a living room on each floor, a study and multimedia room, an officer room, and then the main room you walked into. We do most of our entertaining in that room or the basement went the weather is cold or rainy, but we try to utilize the backyard and pool area as much as we can." I realized she had stopped talking somewhere between me realizing they had a pool and a hot tub, and Alice asking a question of their own.

"How does a room assignment work?" she interjected.

"If you're offered a bid to pledge, you'll remain wherever you are for the duration of the semester. Per campus rules, all freshmen have to spend their first semester in the dorms, so regardless most pledges couldn't move anyway. A few sororities have a pledge house specifically designed for their pledge groups, but we do not. Once a person has gone through their pledge period and then becomes initiated, it is expected that they will live in the house. Eleven of the bedrooms are double or triple occupancy depending on the size of the room, with only our President getting the single occupant room. At any one time, our chapter strives to keep forty active sisters on campus. For those who wish to live off campus, our chapter has an agreement with a certain apartment complex that most chose to go into, but that is mainly offered to the upperclassman," Rosalie explained before a few other sisters walked up to greet us.

"Hi, I'm Erika. I'm the Rush Chair Coordinator, and I just wanted to welcome you to our house," Erika introduced herself very officially.

"I'm Kelsey," the blonde girl spoke up with a small wave. "I'm the assistant to Rush Chair, if you have any questions; please feel free to ask away. We have food over on the far tables by the pool, next to that is a table set up with a lot of our information sheets, and you'll find all of the sisters everywhere in the bunch. Look for the blue ribbon next to their name tag and it'll help differentiate if you get confused. I don't think this university has seen a pledge class quite as big as this year's in a very long time."

"Thank you," Alice and I said in unison. We looked at each other and laughed for a second before introducing ourselves. A few other girls walked in behind us and Erika and Kelsey were off to greet them as well.

"Why don't you get something to snack on and mingle for a bit," Rosalie suggested as I looked over towards the food and realized six guys were gathered around a grill barbequing. When Rosalie realized what I was looking she spoke up again. "Don't mind them; they're just here to help us cook. Our sorority has a long standing history with the Sigma Phi fraternity so they offered to assist in the cooking since we're one of the smaller sororities and it's forty or us to three hundred of you."

Rosalie had mistaken my face by thinking I was confused about why they were there, when in reality it was because I recognized two of the guys instantly.

**I swore to hubby I'd be up to bed in ten minutes, so this will be brief. Yesterday was chaotic, so I apologize for not updating. I had planned to. I also apologize for the 'cliffy', but I hit 1700 words and realized the Tri-Delta party needed it's own chapter. Oh, and did I mention I told hubby 10 minutes? I'm sure the editing sucks, my apologies. Thank you for all the love! I will update again tomorrow. **


	8. House

**Word Prompt:** House

I tilted my head to the side for a second before turning back to Rosalie. "Sorry," I apologized. "I actually know two of them."

"Oh, really?" she asked seemingly interested in what I had just admitted.

"When I was moving into the dorms, Emmett and Jasper helped bring up some boxes," I explained. Her face registered surprise at the sound of their names, but she didn't say anything else about it.

"Well then, why not go say hi and grab some food. Then, socialize as much as you'd like and I'll see you again before you leave," she suggested with a smile.

Alice looked at me with an odd expression before shrugging and walking with me to the table. I had only grabbed some chips and cole slaw before I picked up a hamburger bun and waited for Emmett to take the burger off the grill. I really wasn't going to say hi or draw any attention to myself because I had no idea whether they'd recognize me or not, but the second Emmett looked down at me, he grinned.

"What's up, Books?" he boomed loudly. I was pretty sure my face squinted up at the sound of his nickname. "What? I do know your name, Bella."

"I'm sorry," I apologize before moving out of the way for Alice to get a burger as well. "I'm not a fan of nicknames."

"Oh, you haven't lived until you've had one," he teased. "You're trying to pledge here?"

"Pretty sure that why I'm here," I replied sarcastically as he mocked offense. "But, yeah, I am. This is my friend, Alice."

"Nice to meet you," Emmett said before turning to the rest of the guys. "You already know the blonde is Jasper, but let me introduce you to everyone else." He then went through the list of guys standing next to him including Tyler, Jacob and Mark. "And, this," Emmett ended, "is our fearless leader, Edward."

"It's nice to meet you," Edward spoke politely.

"Thank you," I replied with a smile. "I've heard you also have a vast collection of books." Edward immediately shot Emmett a look of disbelief before chuckling to himself.

"That I do, my field requires it of me," he explained, so I politely ask his major. "Pre-med," he answers.

"I'm so sorry," I blurt out without thinking as his eyebrow shoots up. "I don't really do well with blood."

"I see, well, Rosalie will kill us if we take up too much of your time," he excused. "Good luck with rush week."

Alice and I both sang out a thank you before walking off and the look Alice was giving me meant I'd have some explaining to do later.

Rosalie was right about the name tags with symbols making it a lot easier to recognize a sister from a non-sister, but I also felt like my bracelet made me equally a target. I'd be in the middle of a conversation before someone would excuse themselves into it so they could also introduce themself.

I asked the standards questions I had pre-thought up to include questions about majors, how people liked the campus, what their favorite activities had been since joining the sorority, why they chose this sorority over the others, and so on.

Overall, I hadn't met a sister I hadn't liked and they all seemed very receptive towards my questions, even going into greater detail than I had expected.

As the sun officially died down and clean-up begann, Rosalie approached Alice and I to walk us out. Emmett, Jasper, and their boys were cleaning up the grill as we walked by.

"See you later, Books," Emmett called as I shot him a look. I thought I heard Rosalie laugh, but I couldn't tell. We passed Edward in the main room coming out of the kitchen, "Have a good night ladies." He smiled at all of us before heading out back.

"Well, I hope you both had a good time. Our next event is on Friday for the softball game, you both know how to get there?" she asked, and we nodded in unison. "Okay, good. It'll be sisters versus rushees and the list will come out Thursday to see who's cut who, but I don't believe either of you have to worry about that."

"Thank you," Alice replied before I had the chance.

"Alice, do you mind if I talk to Bella alone for a few minutes?" Rosalie asked as Alice excused herself in a hurry opting to meet me at the sidewalk when I was done so we could walk home together. I immediately froze up fearing I was in trouble.

"This actually doesn't have anything to do with sorority business, so please breathe," she said as she lowered her voice. "I realize you knew a few of the guys here today, and I appreciated that you didn't spend a whole lot of time with them. Emmett and I have been dating for several years, so I actually realized he knew you when he called you his nickname. We don't have any no-dating policies, but I saw the way you looked at one of them in particular, and as a woman and a friend, I'm warning you to just don't. Edward is a great guy, nice as can be, but his head truly is in a book if it's not talking about his own job as President, and I just don't want you to take his signals as any more than him just being nice. That is just the way he was raised."

"Oh, no, no," I interjected. "He's cute, I'll give him that, but I'm not…I'm not looking for a relationship or anything. Emmett talked about having to move all of his books and it clicked once he introduced us."

"Good," Rosalie replied with a huge breathe that made me wonder if she was somehow nervous.

A few minutes later I bid Rosalie a goodnight before meeting Alice at the sidewalk. When she wasn't alone I almost thought I was walking up to the wrong person, but the street was practically dead, and I had only been talking to Rosalie for five minutes, ten tops, but when I heard her laughing, I knew she was the right person.

"Oh, there she is," Alice called as I walked over to see Jasper and Edward standing with her.

"Uh, hello," I replied awkwardly trying to figure out how I missed them coming outside and then wondering if they had heard any of what Rosalie and I were talking about.

"They were just leaving when they saw me standing here, when I said I was waiting for you, Jasper offered to walk us home," Alice explained catching me up to speed.

"That's really nice, but," I tried to say it was unnecessary, but it was Jasper who cut me off.

"Then, it's settled, we'll walk you back to your dorm," he dictated before Alice starting walking right with him.

I looked at their moving bodies, then back to Edward who was standing in front of me, and then back at them.

"You really don't have to walk all the way there, just to have to come back. Isn't your house like around the corner?" I tried to give him an out, but it wasn't well received.

"What kind of a gentleman would I be if I just left you all alone on the side walk?" he asked with a smirk. "Exactly, come on, I'll walk with you. It seems you've been ditched for the taller, blonder, more masculine type tonight."

"It seems I have," I mused and began walking at his pace.

"So, how do you like the campus?" Edward started, as I looked over at him for a second. I realized he was sort of trapped into walking me home, but I didn't expect to actually talk to him. Rosalie's words were already playing in my head and it definitely made me curious of that backstory.

"Campus is nice," I replied. "I like the freedom."

"You're not from around here, then?" he pushed on as I laughed.

"No, but I'm from a town about four hours away, so not too far. We'd normally come to Seattle once or twice a year to do some shopping, see some sights, and eat at a few different places, but otherwise Seattle is pretty foreign to me," I explained.

"Then, I can see why you like your freedom," he commented as we rounded the first corner.

"Yeah, I guess, my town is pretty small, my dad is the police chief, my mom is a psychiatrist, doesn't really make for much freedom," I joked though it was almost a lie. My parents had given me freedom, but, in the town I lived in, had I done anything they would have known immediately.

"That is one hell of a parent combo and here I thought mind was bad," he replied, so I asked him what his parents did. "My parents are both lawyers."

"No, I definitely think you had it worse. My dad would always have the heads up, while my mom would explain why my brain was working the way it was, but neither were very good at arguing their points," I explained.

"Maybe, but mine would just wait until I got into trouble and then get me out of it," he pointed out and I conceded only slightly.

"Were you a handful?" I teased.

"I had my moments, what about you?" he countered. I could tell he wasn't going to divulge any incriminating events by his tone.

"Goody two-shoes all the way I'm afraid. I was a pretty boring teenager," I answered factually. I really was a pretty boring teenager.

"I doubt you were boring," he scoffed, only leaving me to shrug.

"Well, I guess you could say my biggest offense has yet to be revealed, so the future may not be so boring," I relayed though I had no idea why I had just said that.

"Oh really," he asked completely interested as he looked my way. "What have you been up to?"

"The whole sorority thing, my mom kind of outlawed them, and I'm obviously not listening." Again, I answered without knowing where the heck my word vomit was coming from. Edward was the President of his fraternity, who also happened to be super close with the sorority I wanted, and the last thing I needed was for him to get the impression that I shouldn't join and then relay that sentiment.

"What does your mom have against sororities?" he questioned.

"Your guess is as good as mine," I replied with another shrug. "She won't tell me, just that I shouldn't bother. I obviously disagree."

"Well, if you're aiming for Tri-Deltas you won't be disappointed," he started to explain. "Out of everyone on campus, they've always seemed the most real, genuine, and they rarely have drama popping up. They're also smaller and closer than some of the others, so they tend to have a bad reputation for being exclusionary, but I just think they're very selective, and it's not a bad mentality or approach. The ASP house has a similar reputation, but we also have the highest GPA, most hours logged for community service, and tend to raise the most for charity during Greek Week, despite being smaller and 'exclusionary'." He air-quoted the words 'exclusionary' for effect.

"You're really passionate about your house," I noted aloud. It wasn't an insult, more an observation.

"I am," he replied with a head nod. "I wouldn't have stuck around or ran for President if I wasn't."

Our conversation seemed to lull after that, I wasn't sure what Edward was thinking, but his comments gave me a lot to think about. Even though he was in a fraternity and I was trying to join a sorority, his input and thoughts were still relevant. It made me more hopeful for a Tri-Delta's bid because what he talked about was exactly what I wanted.

As we rounded the last corner, I could see my dorm building coming into view with absolutely no view of Alice or Jasper anymore.

"Looks, like I've really been left," I commented with a sigh.

"Does she do this often?" Edward asked and it almost sounded like concern.

"Never," I answered, and I knew Alice would have some explaining to do when I got to her next.

"Well, it looks like you're home safely. It was really nice meeting you, and I'm sure I'll be seeing you around," Edward said as we came up to my building.

"Yeah, thank you again, I'm so sorry you got roped into walking with me" I apologize as Edward opened the building door.

"It wasn't so bad," he teased with a smirk. "Good night, Bella."

"Good night, Edward."

**I'm so sorry for the delay. When I was looking at my calendar this week, I apreciated looked at the wrong line and got bombarded with events I thought were next week. Thursday we had an FRG event that lasted until 9, then yesterday was a Military Appreciation BBQ + Bunco, so I wasn't home until much later. As a result, this is the longest chapter to date. My eldest had cheer pictures tomorrow so I'll be running her to and from twice (teams, then individuals) and then again for her actual practice. If I'm not too tired, I'll write some more. **


	9. Curfew

**Word Prompt**: Curfew

After walking up to my door, I thought for about two seconds to go to Alice's room to see if she was there, but decided against it. Instead I pulled out my phone and shot her a text, thirty seconds later, she replied back that she was fine and we'd talk in the morning.

I pulled off my bracelet and hung it on the vanity before grabbing my shower stuff and heading down the hall. I absolutely hated communal bathrooms, but it was a small price to pay for dorm living.

The next morning, I heard pounding on my door an hour before I needed to even be out of bed. I groaned, but rolled out and stumbled to get to the handle. Today was my late start day, otherwise known as, I get to sleep day, but when I saw Alice practically bouncing outside my door, I let her in.

"Okay, first, I'm sorry," she blurted out as the door closed with a thump. "I was a really bad friend, because I never should have left you. So, I'm sorry."

She didn't say anything else, despite the 'but' that I knew was coming so I just nodded. She was right, it was a crappy thing to do, but at least she left me with someone who could walk with me home.

"But," she started against this time more cautiously. "I've met the man I'm going to marry." She then proceeded to actually jump up and down, as I sat back on my bed and just stared at her. "What? I know, it sounds crazy, right? But, I swear it; I am going to marry Jasper Whitlock."

"Where should I send the gift?" I replied sarcastically and moved to lie back down. I was still tired as hell, and she had entirely way too much energy for it being eight o'clock.

"There is no need for that tone. I seriously though you'd be more excited," she replied with a dejected looked on her face.

"I am, but I'm also tired, tell me again in an hour and I'll pretend I was a cheerleader," I placated and turned back over.

"Sure, sure," she brushed off. "I'm assuming since you're alive and well and you texted me that you had nothing happen on your walk home."

"Well, if you must know, you pretty much bailed so Edward was sort of forced to walk me home. He was nice, we talked and he dropped me at the door," I explained as I stared at the ceiling.

"Was he nice?" she asked as she sat down at the end of my bed.

"Sure, I guess, I wasn't really paying attention," I lied. Truth be told, Edward was a little more than nice, but I had remembered Rosalie's words and refused to get mixed up in all of that. Maybe he was just a nice guy who didn't realize how he came off, though I somehow doubted that. I think something happened before to get Rosalie to talk to me about it, but I also refused to be nosey. If I needed to know, I'd eventually find out. "What time did Jasper leave?" I asked to change the subject.

"About five this morning," she squeaked as I shot her a stare. We do have a curfew in the dorms and overnight stays are definitely not permitted.

"I guess I don't need to ask about your night then, huh?" I teased and she turned red. Bingo! "So, tell me, exactly how well do you know Mr. Jasper?"

"Oh hush you," she feigned disinterest. "We're not talking about that. What we are talking about is breakfast, get up and come eat with me."

"Yes mom," I groaned and rolled back out of bed. I realized she had spilled on her night yet, but I figured I'd file that away for later.

After grabbing breakfast with Alice, I rushed off to my morning psychology class. I was pretty lucky to get into it because I was a freshman and technically it deviated against the 'recommended' course schedule for my major, but I could not handle a high-school like schedule without one class as my reprieve. Psychology was my reprieve and sociology would be my reprieve next semester. By the time I was done, I'd have all my classes anyway.

Since the term was still so new, I tended to be quiet and only talk to the few people I had sat next to the weeks before. Unlike my freshman classes, which were packed with several hundred people, this one only had about fifty. Not overwhelming, but also easy to get lost in a crowd.

I was thumbing through my book waiting for the professor to walk in when I heard a voice clear above me. When I looked up, I was sure my eyes bulged out of my head.

"Is this seat taken?" Edward asked and pointed directly next to me.

"Uh, no," I stumbled through my words as he sat down. "I didn't realize we shared a class," I commented once my mouth started working properly again.

"Well, I may have messed with my schedule a few semesters ago to get into a class before the teacher I wanted retired, and it meant skipping this one so I needed to make it up. I know it's not typical for a senior to take it," he explained as I realized exactly how much older he was. I had pegged him for a junior, maybe senior, but now that he confirmed it, I just nodded. "What about you? I don't think I had any fun classes until I was a sophomore."

"I told the advisor I'd rather jump off a bridge than sit through five classes that reminded me of high school, so he told me to name a class I wanted and he got me this one," I explained.

"Then, I'm glad he did, if your other option was jumping from a bridge," Edward teased me with a laugh. We heard the door open a few seconds later and everyone settled in for the lecture.

I had to admit, sitting next to Edward didn't make me the most studios. I noticed he took several more notes than I did, but I was lucky enough to have a psychology class offered in high school so I knew a lot of what we were going over already. His attention seemed on the professor at all times, but I realized I was paying more attention to him.

When I saw him last night he came off as very preppy, if not a bit 'boy next store,' wearing a crisp polo with the ASP letter's on it and black slacks. The Edward in class next to me looked a lot more laid-back, wearing an over-sized UW sweatshirt and faded denim jeans.

The hour ended almost too fast as I realized I'd need to say my goodbyes and grab some lunch before hitting my afternoon class followed. Tonight was yet another round of parties Alice and I were forced to attend and with as late as I got in the night before, I refused to stay out late again, especially when I had no desire to join any of the five sororities.

"Do you have another class now?" Edward asked as I shook my head no and followed him out of the auditorium. Students milled around us, but the courtyard was pretty quiet considering it was lunchtime.

"No, I typically grab lunch, switch my books, and then, I have an afternoon class at one-thirty," I explained as he nodded thoughtfully. "What about you?"

"This is my only class on Wednesday's," he answered as I felt a pang of jealousy; I wanted a day with only one class too. "My heavy days are Tuesday's and Thursday's," he went on, "Just this on Monday's and Wednesday's."

"That's nice, I kept Friday's open too," I commented as I tried to decide what the next step should be. Should I be nice and invited him to lunch or just say goodbye and see you later? I never really dated in high school and while I had several male friends, I felt like I was in unknown territory right now. Talking to a guy in high school was a whole less complicated than talking to one in college, especially after I was warned about him to start with.

"I'm assuming you eat on campus?" he asked as I nodded. My parents had bought a full meal plan, but I wasn't quite as limited as most of my freshman counterparts. With my insane allowance, I could eat off campus for every meal if I actually wanted to, but I was entirely too lazy to do it. "Did you want to have lunch off campus?" Edward interrupted my internal musing and caught me completely off guard at the same second.

"You mean like together?" I hedged awkwardly not sure how I should be reading this. Girls and boys went to lunch together, I'm sure he just means as friends anyway.

He laughed for a second before answering, "Yeah, I meant, would you like to have lunch with me? I know this café downtown, it's not too crowded." His voice trails off as I cut my thoughts off from debating.

"Um, sure," I answered because what else was I supposed to say? "That actually sounds really great."

"Cool, I drove today so we can just take my car if that's okay?" he questioned and for a second, he sounded nervous.

"Your car sounds fine, mine is a good mile away from here," I explained as his faced registered shock. "What?" Suddenly I felt a little self-conscious.

"Oh nothing, I just didn't realize you had a car here," he explained and I realized it was a valid assumption. Most freshmen didn't bring their cars because the cost to park them was insane.

"Yeah, my parents insisted," I brushed off, as he led the way to the parking lot. .

The short walk to the parking lot was pretty quiet, however once he hit the unlock button on a black Volvo C30 I definitely snorted. I had pegged Edward for a Honda guy, maybe even a Volkswagen, but a Volvo? Not in a million years.

"What?" he questioned as he opened the passenger side door. His chivalrous act didn't really surprise me, though it did make me feel bad for laughing in his face about his vehicle.

"Oh, nothing," I joked and moved to get in. "I just wasn't picturing you in a Volvo."

"They happen to make very safe cars, Bella," Edward explained once he was in the driver's seat. "Besides, my parents picked it out, I didn't actually get any say in it. But, I have learned to love this thing, so you must not knock the Volvo. What do you drive anyway?"

"A Nissan Altima," I answered with a look that dared him to challenge me.

"You're joking about my Volvo when you drive a Nissan, really, Bella?" Had his face not faulted at the last second, I would have totally taken him serious, but he shook his head with a smirk and start backing out.

I decided to remain quiet and let him focus on his safe driving.

**Woo Hoo, I got to write, but I'll admit-my migraine is pounding so my editing probably sucked. SL had cheer team pictures and then individuals, then I got to run to the store, change her, and back for practice. Hubby took Alice out for a daddy-daughter day because I wasn't home most of the afternoon/evening, and she proceeded to out-fish him! LOL Gotta love children. She is doing much better after her fall, thank you to all those who have asked. She sees her Ped on the 31st, but I don't think anything else will come of it. **

**Hubs is off tomorrow so I don't see why I won't update. For those who are used to me, and those who are not, I always keep a few in-character things, but otherwise, try and drift away from the stereotypes of the characters. Alice won't be insanely annoying about fashion, Rosalie isn't going to be a b*tch towards Bella at least, Edward won't be a bedroom stalker...etc. I prefer to have fun with them and get them to act somewhat more normal-and, I was asked, but the answer is no, Rosalie and Edward are not siblings. In this story, Edward is an only child, but we'll learn more about his family later on. **


	10. Daydream

**Word Prompt**: Daydream

With Edward behind the wheel, I had to keep myself from daydreaming. I refused to look over at him for fear of being caught staring, but I still had to wonder how I got here. It was just supposed to be a barbeque at the Tri-Delta house, nothing more, yet Alice now believes she's met her 'one' and I'm in a car going to lunch with a boy who not only has a few years on me age wise, but is pretty hot in the looks department.

I was pretty sure twenty minutes had passed before we pulled up to a small café on a strip of downtown. I had gone into a trance and only came to when Edward opened my door for me to get out.

"Thank you," I thanked him before he held the door open to the café.you've brought a guest today, follow me," she instructed as we both trailed her. As I moved to go around the hostesses stand, Edward's hand held my lower back to guide me. I stiffened for a second by how intimate a gesture it was.

When we came to the small corner table in the back, Edward didn't attempt to pull my seat out and for a second, I was thankful. If I was going to be his friend, there would eventually need to be some boundaries, and this lunch was not a date. At least, I hoped he didn't think this was a date because I didn't. Now I really wished Rosalie wouldn't have said anything to me because I swear her words continue to confuse me even more.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked as he set his menu to the side.

"Just about what to get, you appear to be a regular?" I noted and he nodded. "Any suggestions on what I should order?"

"I come here for the Mushroom Swiss burger; it's the best in town. I've heard their salads are good though, as is the mushroom ravioli," he explained, as I take notes and look over the menu. This place definitely wasn't typical college dining and the prices definitely reflected that. I made a mental note to make sure we split the bill, but then I wondered if that would offend him or not.

"I'm Kelsey, I'll be your server today, and what can I get you to drink?" Our waitress asked, Edward ordered a pop, while I asked for a sweet tea. "I'll be right back with those, were you ready to order yet?"

"I'm ready," I spoke up, and ordered the mushroom ravioli, while Edward ordered his typical burger.

When I handed my menu back to Kelsey I noticed Edward's face had an odd expression, so I waited until she was a ways away before asking what his look was for.

"Oh, nothing," he tried to excuse as my eyebrow rose at him. "Sorry, you're just," he paused, "Refreshing I guess is the word I'm going for."

"Refreshing?" I said out loud, though it sounded like a question. "I think that's a compliment, so I'm going to take it as one."

He laughed for a second before his eyes looked up to meet mine. "Definitely a compliment," he relayed. "You don't really say or do what I expect you to, it's refreshing, mysterious even."

"I think you're the first person to ever call me mysterious, but I'll go with it," I accepted before changing the subject. "How has your rush week been going?"

"Can I speak honestly?" he asked, and I nodded my head enthusiastically.

"Of course, it's not like I'm trying to join," I teased, and he barked out another laugh. "I wouldn't make a very good brother, so your secrets are safe with me."

"See, that right there is what I mean," he pointed out before answering my question. "I think we've seen better years. There have been a handful of guys that we're watching, but we don't have a lot of slot opens this year, so it's probably going to be one of our tougher years deciding."

"I'm sorry," I replied. "I don't know about the guy side, but I know our advisor said this is the largest amount of girl's they've ever had. We find out about cuts on Thursday or early Friday, I think."

"Are you nervous?" he asked, and I shrugged.

"I'm trying not to be," I started. "I mean, I know the decision isn't really in my hands so I'm going to do my best to stay where I want to be, but I'm at the point now that there are only two sororities I'll consider. If I don't get a bid to either, then I'll walk away."

"You seem very determined though," he noted.

"I'm sure you were when you wanted into your fraternity," I shot back, and he sat up a little taller.

"You could definitely say that," he replied, though his tone alluded to something else.

"Because?" I pushed lightly.

He sighed and shifted in his seat for a second before we were interrupted by Kelsey and our drinks.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked sweetly, and I noticed her eyes on Edward, but I tried not to let it bother me.

"No, thank you," he replied before she walked off. I swore I saw his eyes rolls, but I wasn't too sure.

"You were saying," I spoke up and he just stared at me for a second.

"My dad came to UW to get his degree and was part of a fraternity. When I decided to go to school here, he assumed that meant I'd be following in his footsteps, major and fraternity. When I did not follow either, let's just say he could have been happier," he explained, and I momentarily felt guilty for pushing.

"I'm sorry," I said again for the second time that lunch. "I didn't mean to pry."

"No, it's okay. I love my parents, don't get me wrong, but I never aspired to be like them either. I did take into account the Delta house when it came time to rush, but I didn't fit in with them. They actually care about the generational stuff, so I pretty much had an automatic in, but I didn't want it. When it came through, I immediately turned it down. I got the call from ASP ten minutes later and accepted. My dad flew off the handle, but he got over it. At that point, he should have expected me to do things my own way," he explained further. "I was raised by two lawyers, I don't typically waiver about what I want."

"That makes sense," I noted politely. "You want to be a doctor though?"

"That is my plan," he answered. "Specifically, I'd like to be a Pediatrician."

"What made you consider that route?" I asked, though admittedly, my attention was completely on him and his words that followed. A guy, who had a soft spot for children, was a guy I had a soft spot for.

"My dad practices in corporate law, which is extremely boring in my opinion, but my mom's cases, tend to be in conjunction with child services, messy custody battles that type of thing. They each have an office at home so they could work regardless of where they were. Well, I was about nine when I went looking for my mom one weekend to tell her I was ready for lunch, and I found her office empty. Sitting on top of her desk were some pretty graphic pictures from a case she was involved in. She found me looking at them a few minutes later and freaked out. I knew they were lawyers, but didn't know a lot of details at that point. I started asking what had happened to the little boy in the picture and she gave me an abridged version, that he had gotten hurt and she was working to keep him away from those who hurt him," Edward explained, pausing only to take a sip of his drink. "I had already been fascinated by medicine at that point, and I firmly told my mom that day that I'd grow up to be a doctor of children. She'll still recount the story if you ask her, but that event pretty much made up my mind."

"Huh," I dumbly replied because my brain had turned into completely goo by the time he was finished talking. Suddenly, Rosalie's rules about staying away from Edward were going to be harder than I thought.

I was more than thankful when Kelsey walked up a minute later and brought us our food.

"How did you know you wanted to be a doctor so young?" I finally asked in an effort to regain my senses.

"My uncle is a surgeon, and I spent a lot of time at my aunt and uncles house growing up because both of my parents worked, and my aunt didn't. Emmett, well, he's my cousin, so we grew up together basically as brothers. My uncle realized pretty early on that Emmett had absolutely no desire to hear about anything that happened inside an operating room, but I did," he relayed. "It got me interested and I realized that math and science were my strong suits. Emmett decided to go into sports medicine, so all was not lost."

"You must have been close to your aunt and uncle then?" I asked.

"Yeah, in some ways, they're more like my parents than my parents. Definitely more supportive, my uncle is who calmed my dad down when he realized I really did want to grow up and go into medicine, and that it wasn't some silly phase as he swore it was." Edward actually rolled his eyes at the end of his speech, and I realized he had actually revealed quite a bit about his family.

"Well, I'm glad you have someone on your side," I emphasized before turning back to my food.

"What about you?" Edward questioned between bites. "I don't think I ever asked your major."

"Oh," I replied passionately and set my fork down. "I want to be a pediatric psychiatrist."

"Really?" Edward seemed surprised. "Following after your mom's footsteps?"

"Never," I shot back, stunned that he's listened the night before so intently. "She treats adults, and I want as far away from them as possible."

Edward laughed again, while I shot him a glare. "You're hilarious, Bella."

"Why, thank you," I accepted his half-assed compliment with a smirk before turning more serious. "Children are just really innocent and truthful, almost to a fault. I don't want to be sitting face to face with an adult who is going to try and lie and manipulate everything said so I think one way when it's really the next. My mom has always told me that the only way she's good at what she does is by cutting herself off emotionally, and I just can't do that. Children are just little gifts to the world; there is no way I'd be able to disconnect. Plus, I think to be a good counselor you have to be invested in your patients and knowing that I will help bring the sunshine back into their lives is my real motivation."

This time, it was Edward's turn to reply with a 'huh' before we both focused our time finishing our meals.

We didn't say much more before settling the bills and heading back to campus. Lunch had gone a little later than I planned, so I'd need to hurry to make my next class in time. We listened to the radio on the entire drive back and didn't say a word until Edward had already parked.

"Let me walk you to the door," he offered and put his hand on his key.

"Oh, you don't have too," I replied with one foot already out the door. "I'm going to have rush anyway, and I have this class with Alice." I alluded to the fact that Alice would definitely questioned me if she saw us together, and given what Rosalie had told me about Edward, I was sure he didn't want a rumor mill about something completely false, anyway.

"I see," he replied with a crestfallen expression. Realizing I didn't have enough time to focus on that, I simply said a quick goodbye and rushed to my next class.

**Sorry for the delay-while it was hubby's day off, we spent the bulk of it, clearing out the rest of our garage so both of our vehicles would fit and replenishing/renewing our tornado supplies to store in our tornado shelter. While my area was not hit, please take a moment to think about all of those in Oklahoma tonight. For reference, I live in 'Middle Missouri", which is technically southwest Missouri. **

**Sorry about the editing-I'm tired, but Baby A just got to sleep so I could post. **


	11. Punctual

**Word Prompt**: Punctual

"Were you running?" Alice asked incredulously as we walked into the main auditorium.

"Yeah, I lost track of time," I explained as I momentarily cursed myself. I normally went home between my classes and switched my books, now I only had my Psychology stuff and nothing else. I sat close enough to Alice to look over at her book, but just used my paper and pens to take notes. Alice kept glancing at me like she was trying to read my mind, and I knew that I was typically the most punctual between the two of us, but I refused to talk about lunch.

Was I hiding my lunch with Edward? Being honest, a little but only because Rosalie told me to stay away and I obviously did the complete opposite of her advice. Though, in my defense, I had never been the one to seek him out. Though, I did wonder if this would affect me trying to get into the Tri-Deltas. Obviously, I couldn't follow a simple direction and I doubt that would look great in the long run. It also made me question whether it was something I could call Rosalie and talk about. Did I just flat out admit that staying away from him no longer seemed possible? Or, ignore it and hoped the problem went away, at least until I was initiated, knocking on wood, in the fall? I wasn't sure which way to go, but eventually word would get out, especially if he insisted on spending time together.

After class got out, I did my best to push all thoughts of Edward to the back of my head. Alice and I needed to get ready for our evening parties and even though neither one of us were excited about going, we'd have to try our best to be nice and social. I chose a white blouse, high wasted denim slacks, and gold flats for my ensemble. Alice would cringe a little when she saw it I was sure, but I wasn't wearing a dress today…I refused. I threw on some gold earrings and a matching necklace to spruce the look up.

"Are you ready?" Alice asked once I opened my door a few hours later indeed cringing at my outfit ensemble. I nodded and stepped out, feeling a lot more anxious than I had the night before. Part of me wondered if we'd have to pass the ASP house at any point tonight or if Jasper would somehow meet Alice while we were out and about. I wanted to ask her about it, but choose to stay away from the topic of boys. Instead, we talked about the houses we'd be visiting tonight and what order we planned on attending.

As the hours flew by, I realized my patience was growing shorter and shorter. Not just because the houses we visited just flat out annoyed me over one thing or another, but mainly because the second we walked out of the last house, Jasper was, in fact, waiting for Alice. Alice swore she knew nothing about it, which I realized was true when Jasper mentioned seeing us walk past the ASP house earlier and him knowing where we'd end up. Apparently he had asked earlier about our 'plan on attack' and just didn't tell Alice why.

So now, not only was I forced yet again to walk past the ASP house, but I now had to do so with Jasper in toe. As the daughter of a cop, I knew I could defend myself. I had mace in my purse if I needed it and, while clumsy part of the time, I did know hand-to-hand combat and could locate several pressure points on the human body. Instead, my anxiety of walking back to the dorm building alone stemmed more from lack of familiarity. In a month or two, I would do cartwheels down the road without a care in the world, but for now, I was stuck with two star crossed lovers who Shakespeare couldn't have even though up. And, it appeared my sour mood showed because Jasper asked me what was wrong.

"Nothing," I answered while continuing to stare off into space. My dad would be so disappointed in me if he saw our low my guard was right now.

"Okay," he accepted, and didn't say anything more.

"How did your party go tonight, Jazz?" Alice asked from my side.

"It was fun," he answered, though I was only half paying attention to him. "They were almost done cleaning up when I left. I told the guys I was going to escort you back to the dorm and head back; we have a meeting tonight to discuss everything."

"That sounds like fun," Alice cooed and I officially shut my hearing off. I wasn't jealous, per say, but I also wasn't in the mood to be surrounded by an overly-loving couple either; especially when, they had literally just met. How Alice believed she'd met the man of her life, I'd never understand, but I had to admit there was a look in both of their eyes. Maybe love at first sight was real? I was still pretty skeptical.

When we rounded the corner, time almost stood still. Edward and Jacob, who I had been introduced to the night before, were outside talking close to the sidewalk, alongside, Rosalie and Emmett. I was so screwed if Edward spotted me so I moved to the other side of Jasper, not that it was really going to help shield me.

I almost didn't stop when Emmett called Jasper over, but something told me that it would cause more of a scene if I didn't.

"Well, hello there, Books," Emmett teased me, as I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.

"Sup," I replied, trying desperately to look pleasant.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Rosalie asked, and I noticed Jacob and Edward coming over to join our conversation. I caught his eye for a second before immediately looking down and back up to Rosalie.

"Honestly? Not really, but it was manageable," I answered with a shrug. "Nothing really compared to the Tri-Delta house."

"Spoken like a true rushee," Emmett interjected as I shot him a look. "What? Okay, you're serious, I was just kidding."

"Be nice, Emmett," Rosalie turned towards him. "Rushing is a stressful time; I seem to remember you being nervous too."

"You could say that again," Edward piped up. I wasn't sure if it was his voice or the fact that I was trying so hard not to acknowledge him, but the second I heard him speak my eyes snapped towards his. The expression of his face changed from joking to apprehensive almost immediately, and I seriously felt like I was suffocating within the group of people.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asked, and it was the first time I had even really taken in his presence.

"Oh yeah," I lied and faked a yawn. "I'm just a little tired, that's all. My long day is tomorrow so I need to head back to the dorms, are you two ready?" I turned and asked Alice and Jasper who had remained mute the entire time we stood there.

"Of course," Alice replied, but the look in her eyes told me that she knew I was lying. I had had a few close friends in Forks, but Alice was better at reading me. It probably had something to do with the fact that I didn't know her from the time I was in diapers, but I was surprised when she turned to Jasper and told him that we'd be okay getting back to the dorms by ourselves.

"Are you sure, Alice? It's dark and…" Jasper insisted, but Alice stood firm.

"Yes, I'm sure. Besides you have stuff to do and we can talk tomorrow, okay?" Alice pushed lightly, and I think he finally took the hint that there was more to her words than what she was actually saying.

"Well, if you're sure, I do have some things to get to," he conceded without another word as they hugged goodbye.

Emmett took Rosalie's hand and started pulling her the front door before bidding us a goodnight, but as I tried to politely say my goodbyes to Edward and Jacob I realized she had turned to stare at us with a look of confusion.

"Good night, Bella," Edward barely whispered before turning away from me and walking back with Jacob.

"Do you have your keys on you?" Alice asked once we had taken about ten steps down the sidewalk.

"Yeah, they're in my purse, why?" I answered almost monotone.

"Good, we're going off campus for ice cream and you missy are going to spill on whatever the hell that just was," she informed me. I didn't concede because I wanted to, I just didn't have it in me to fight her.

**My note will be brief-goodnight :) **


	12. Fog

**Word Prompt:** Fog

"So, what's going on?" Alice asked the second we sat down at Baskin Robin's. It was the only ice cream place still open and reasonably close to campus, and Alice insisted on ice cream.

"I don't really know," I answered as honestly as I could. The fog surrounding my brain was stifling. I knew college would be different, but I didn't expect it to feel so foreign quite so soon. Nor had I really expected to meet a guy I was told to stay away from. Of course, there was the issue of not really knowing why I needed to stay away from him…just that I did.

"Okay," Alice said evenly. "Why don't you start at the beginning?"

Her question got me to launch into the entire story, starting from Rosalie's warning to the walk home to my class to lunch and everything in between. I had talked for a full ten minutes before I even gave myself a chance to breathe and to Alice's credit; she didn't attempt to interrupt me even once.

"Well," Alice started before going mute. Her eyes kept blinking and it was pretty obvious that she was thinking, but even she remained quiet for a few minutes. "Do you want to ask Rosalie about it?"

"No," I immediately snapped. "The last thing I need is for her to think I'm going against her advice."

"Okay," Alice drew out. "What about asking Edward directly?"

"I'm pretty sure he'd go to Rosalie," I answered, and she nodded.

"Then, we'll do what we have to, to make sure you stay away from him," she announced. Even though my head nodded, the butterflies in my stomach flustered, and my heart hurt a little bit.

The next day, Alice and I went up to the main building to grab our lists to see who we'd been cut from, and yet again, I had to stop dead in my tracks. Edward and Emmett were inside talking to an advisor.

"It'll be okay Bella," Alice practically whispered before pulling me into the office before they would see either of us. We were able to get to the counter where our envelopes were housed and pull each of our names before darting out of the building to safety.

And, that is exactly how I would describe the next month…constantly avoiding. I was only thankful that the Tri-Delta and ASP houses hadn't done anything together that I was invited too because I knew how awkward it would be. Edward never approached me in Psychology again and was always out of the door before I rose from my seat.

While I still upheld my commitment to rushing, my list of sororities continued to shrink with each week. I had never had a social calendar quite like sorority rush month. I still didn't understand why it had to take the whole month; I envied schools that got this done in a week. But, finally I was down to four names and tonight was it. Our last night of rush before bids went out starting at 8 AM Saturday morning. To say I wouldn't be sleeping at all on Friday was an understatement.

For the most part, Alice and I had the same sororities get cut until the end. I had cut one that half kept her and vice versa, so while we'd be together for most of the night, we would eventually have to separate from each other. Tonight wasn't about parties or socials, instead focusing on the seriousness of each sorority. We had a time slot at to sit through a meeting the sister's at each house would give that essentially pitched them one last time. They'd talk about their mission statements, history, and goals, and it would be our absolute last time to ask questions before bids went out. Each house was only allotted thirty minutes, so I'd be running around quite a bit to make sure I got to each of the houses on time. Our only saving grace was the fraternities had done something similar the night before, so the streets wouldn't be as congested. Trying to get to events when the sororities and fraternities were using the same nights could get a bit chaotic.

"Are you ready?" Alice asked as she opened my door. I turned around and gave my best confident smile I could muster. I chose a simple blank tank dress, white leggings, a black jacket, and black flats. It definitely wasn't my most stylist look, but it was one of my dressier comfy looks and with as much running as I would potentially be doing, I needed to stay out of heels.

"So, order?" I asked as we made our way to sorority row. Alice was currently looking at the two pieces of paper Lauren had given us the night before and comparing the times again just to double check.

"Looks like we're together until the fourth house, so, do you just want to meet back up at the dorms when it's over?" Alice asked and I nodded. I finally felt comfortable enough to walk sorority row solo and with tonight starting so early, it'd barely be dark by the time I was ready to head back. Not to mention, I'm sure Alice would have Jasper in toe.

As each sorority went over their speeches, I had to admit, my top two never waived. Sigma and Tri-Delta's were the two I instantly fell in love with and had stayed in love with. Admittedly, I favored Tri-Deltas more, but after the past month, getting into any sorority was almost enough…almost. Our rush class had diminished after the second week, loosing almost one hundred of the girl's total. The class was still large, but I felt like I knew a bunch of them better by the end of week three.

When Alice and I exited the Tri-Delta's house, we bid each other good luck before heading in completely opposite directions. I'd be heading to Sigma and Alice to Alpha Delta. I had dropped them in the first week, but Alice kept them around, though I still wasn't sure why.

Listening to Sigma's speech was hard though. As much as they were my number two, if I accepted a Sigma bid, it meant no Alice. It also meant no Edward, though I refused to let ASP's partnership with the Tri-Delta's affect my judgment, it was a fleeting thought. I was sure at some point, I'd run into him again and not be able to get away.

"Bid calls will start Saturday morning," Carmen ended her speech, as a few stayed back to talk; I immediately headed for the door. The sun was hitting twilight hours, and I assumed Alice would beat me home anyway. I figured she'd dart as soon as she could soon.

Thoughts of bids, sororities, classes, and life swirled in my head as I walked back to the campus. I still hadn't told my parents I was rushing, though I had promised I'd be home to visit soon. My mom had never flat out asked, and I had never felt the need to volunteer the information. I knew when I went home I'd need to fess up. My classes were going really well though and I wasn't taking anything I was struggling in, which was surprising since I hated math and had an algebra class this semester. My grades were all in the A range, so I had nothing to complain about there. My social life had taken off, not just with rushing, but also getting with some of the other girl's on the weekends to hang out with when we could. Alice was definitely my best-friend, but I also hung out with Maggie, Regina, and Natalie. They were fun girls.

Of course, the worst thing about tunnel visioning in my own thoughts was missing the glaring red light flashing over Edward's head as he stood outside the ASP house. I noticed he had a cell phone to his ear about three seconds too late because the second he spotted me he snapped his phone shut. I realized I had two options. I could run which would not only look utterly ridiculous and probably get me talked about. Or, I could ignore him as I walked by. Yeah, right…I really only had one option and it was the only thing I had been avoiding for the past month.

His eyes hadn't left me as I walked up and eventually stopped in front of him. In my defense, he had moved to block the sidewalk, though I wasn't sure if that was intentional or not.

"Hey, Edward," I squeaked out sounding like I was five. I cringed and looked down before punishing my lip between my teeth.

"So, you can still talk," Edward stated though it almost sounded like a question.

"Yeah, about that, I'm," I tried to apologize, though apologize for what I wasn't even sure. My mouth just opened and words kind of flew out, but not before Edward interrupted me.

"Look, I get it," he started and sighed. "I realize I came on too strong and that wasn't cool, but I just want to make sure we're cool, okay? Going forward, if you get offered a bid, we'll probably run into each other and I don't want you ducking away when you think I'm not watching or me feeling uncomfortable if I going somewhere you may be."

"I, um," I stuttered not exactly sure what I say anymore.

"Really, Bella, it's fine," he said again, though I could almost see the defensive wall rising up to shield him from me. "So, we're okay?"

I opened my mouth and nothing came out. Edward shook his head and turned to walk away, assuming that I had probably gotten his message. The one time I needed my voice to work, it had failed me, and by the time I called out to Edward to wait a second, he didn't even bother to look back.

Choking back on a few tears before staring back down the road I needed to travel to get home, I whispered the only thing I probably should have told him.

"But, I was told to stay away from you."

Of course, I wouldn't find out until it was too late that I wasn't exactly alone.

**Author's Note...see ya tomorrow ;p **


	13. Signature

**Word Prompt**: Signature

To say I was mildly upset once I got back to the dorms was an understatement. Too many things swirled in my head and part of me wanted to call Alice, but I decided against it at the last minute. Technically, I had gotten myself into this mess; surely I could get myself out of it, right? I thought so, but it wouldn't be that night.

First, I had to get through Friday and then I had to get through Saturday, and then I would focus on Edward. Maybe I'd be too late and maybe he was already interested in someone else, but I would try to talk to him with words actually coming out of my mouth. At least, that is what I told myself.

I hadn't even realized two hours had pasted since I had started staring at my ceiling, resolving to make a plan in my head. My emotions were starting to catch up with me and it had completely slipped my mind that I was supposed to be meeting Alice as soon as we were done with tonight until loud banging radiated from my door.

"Bella," I heard a muffled Alice and moved to open it. As the door swung open, I realized she wasn't alone. Next to her stood Jasper who, for the first time I'd seen him, was wearing an angry look on his face. I wasn't really intimidated, but I did kind of cringe.

"Come in," I whispered as I moved away from the opening. "Why are you here?" I looked towards Jasper and then to Alice, and it finally dawned on me that Alice looked upset too. Were they having a fight? Did I need to mediate or something? I really wasn't trained to do that yet, nor was I really capable of it emotionally, but I guess I could try.

"Bella, I'm sorry," Alice croaked before launching into this entire story about Jasper confronting her the second he met up with her after her meeting. I had assumed I was beating Alice home, but in reality, Alice got held up. Jasper was outside waiting for her, but I never saw him, nor had Edward. So when I whispered to myself about having to stay away from Edward, I wasn't alone.

My eyes immediately snapped towards Jasper, "Stay out of it." I wasn't sure where my confidence had come from or whether or not I meant it to sound as harsh as it did, but this was complicated enough without bringing someone else into it.

"It's a little late for that," Jasper informed me as his face softened. "I have only one question for you and then I'll leave you. I want to know who told you to stay away from Edward, and I want to know the truth."

My eyes snapped towards Alice and I had assumed she'd told him all the details, but she shook her head no. "She won't tell me," Jasper answered my unasked question.

"Then, I think that is for the best," I replied and dared him to question me. Of course, he did.

"Bella, tell me who told you to stay away from Edward," he pressed again, and I shook my head no.

"You're not going to give it up?" he pushed one last time and I shook my head.

"Okay then, Edward will figure it out," he announced before turning to leave.

"What?" I screamed. "You can't tell Edward, I'm ordering you to stay out of it. I already planned on talking to him after Saturday; please just give me the weekend. If you tell Edward now…" I trailed off because I wasn't quite sure what Edward would do. The guy I thought I knew wasn't going to wage a war or anything, but maybe he would? Would it interfere with the relationship between the Tri-Deltas and ASP, regardless, I couldn't let that happen…not over me.

"Bella, you're new to this, so I'm going to chop it up as naïve. Edward is my brother, and when he hurts, we all hurt. I have sat by long enough watching him second guessing decisions for the past month and trying to dissect what he had done to offend you. I never went to Alice because I didn't want to be a spy, though I guess I should have sooner, but my point is, this has gone on long enough. Whoever told you to stay away or warned you of whatever they did crossed a boundary that Edward himself would never cross, and it was wrong. If you don't like him and don't want to be his friend, fine, that's whatever, but this is more than that. This is someone specifically attacking him, even worse they did it behind his back. So tell me who yourself and I take it to Edward, or I still take it to Edward and he comes to hunt you down for the name," Jasper warned and I sat back down on my bed.

Alice had remained quiet the entire time, but came to sit next to me and wrap her arms around my shoulders. I was happy that she was somewhat taking my side, but I wished she would have gotten Jasper to me immediately and not let him interrogate her first.

"Good evening, ladies," Jasper spoke again before walking out the door. No name had left my lips.

"It'll be okay, Bella," Alice soothed me after the door shut with a thud.

It was the last thing I heard before falling asleep.

The next morning, I walked around campus jumpy as hell. After Jasper left, I expected Edward to storm in like he warned, but he didn't. I expected a phone call, maybe even a text, but I got neither. Instead, I got nothing. I didn't have classes, but I still ate in the cafeteria and he became a no show. I wasn't walking anywhere near the houses today so I knew I wouldn't see him on the street.

Alice hadn't talked to Jasper at all and he had warned her that he'd be busy setting up for their first pledge meeting that next night so she already expected it. Around 5 I asked her if she wanted to go and grab some supplies for tonight, which she readily accepted, so we drove to Target.

"I can't decide if I'm more nervous or excited," Alice exclaimed while throwing some snack food into the cart.

"I'm pretty sure I'm just nervous," I answered as I grabbed for my own comfort food.

"Well, don't be, tomorrow we'll each get a phone call, I just know it," she replied as we moved to the drinks. Since neither one of us was of drinking age, we were stuck with soda.

"You ready to go?" I asked as we trailed out of the soda aisle, but Alice decided she wanted to look at clothes so we started walking to the opposite side of the store.

"Hey, Books," I heard my name be shouted as I spun around. "Funny seeing you here, what are you two up to tonight?"

"Just grabbing snacks for our movie night," Alice answered for us as I just sort of stood there.

Coming up on Emmett's left was Edward and his right was Jasper…fuck.

"Don't forget to sleep," he teased as he looked down into our almost half full cart.

"Sleep is overrated," I jumped in with a shrug. I looked at Jasper first and then over to Edward before settling on Emmett who seemed like the one clueless one of the punch. If Emmett knew of the behind the scenes drama, he wasn't showing it.

"Where are you headed to next?" Jasper asked from my side, and Alice pointed to the clothes, causing him to laugh. "I should have figured."

"What about you guys? What are you shopping for?" I asked to be nice and social. Nice and social, I could do this.

"Pencils and notebooks," he answered. "Getting ready for tomorrow night."

"Sounds interesting," I mused before putting my hands back on my cart. "I suppose we should let you get back to that."

"Yeah, it was fun seeing you two out," Emmett announced before walking away and towards stationary, leaving Edward and Jasper staring at me and Alice.

"Why don't you go ahead?" Edward turned to Jasper who then moved to Alice who then took our cart and walked away. I glared at Edward for a minute before deciding hostility wasn't going to work to my advantage.

"Are you hungry?" Edward asked and I shrugged. "Come on, I have an addiction to their popcorn." I chuckled to myself before following behind. As we walked toward the food court section I noticed Edward send out a fast text, but I wasn't going to be rude and ask who it was too.

As we stood in line behind an older couple giving their order, we didn't speak. In fact, until Edward asked what I'd like, he hadn't said anything else to me. I simply asked for a smoothie and, for a second, it looked like he wanted to argue with me, but didn't.

When we took our seats towards the back of the little area I almost expected him to blow up. He was calm, almost too calm, and it was slightly eerie, but then I figured Jasper wouldn't lead me into a lion's den in the middle of Target either.

"I want to know who," he said simply as I sighed. He sat back in his chair, his hand inside his popcorn, and his eye's focused solely on me.

"I'd prefer not to tell you," I answered just as quickly before taking a sip of my strawberry banana smoothie. The truth was, I didn't think I could win either way. I wasn't going to get the guy, so protecting Rosalie was my next best option. She and Emmett were dating, so I didn't want to cause issues there, nor did I want to cause a gift between the two organizations. Looking back, I realized I should have pressed Rosalie more or asked why, or hell simply told her I couldn't promise that, but I didn't, so if it meant me protecting who I hoped was my future sister, I was willing to do it.

"What is it you fear by not telling me? Is it getting a bid, was it somebody in a sorority?" he pushed, as I looked down knowing my resolve would fade if he kept on. "Okay, fine, you won't tell me who, but will you tell me when?"

"The night you walked me home," I answered honestly almost immediately. I'd been to five houses that night; surely he'd not be able to narrow it down too quickly with just that.

"The night I walked you home," he repeated almost like he was trying to comprehend it. "So, before meeting up in class and going to lunch, then?"

"Yeah," I replied and shifted in my seat. My resolve, though strong, was starting to waiver. I could see the hurt in his eyes and it upset me that I put it there. Edward hadn't done anything wrong, at least, not to me, why did I listen?

"Thank you for your honesty," he said very diplomatically and moved to stand up.

"That's it?" I asked incredulously. I almost didn't believe it was that easy, but the look on his face told me there was more to it.

"Yeah, that's it," he announced. "I'll figure it out, but it doesn't really matter anymore, because you listened."

"What do you mean I listened?" I questioned and immediately stood up in front of him. My head became a fog, only this time I felt far more defensive than I had the last time. I didn't appreciate being walked on, and I certainly didn't appreciate whatever assumption was going to come out of his mouth.

"You had gotten to know me as a person and you still listened. You didn't have to, you could have told me, confronted whoever came to you, but you didn't. You took the advice blindly, Bella. It's not like I was some random guy you had never met or spoken more than two sentences too. You made your choice," he explained while staying as composed as ever. I, however, was not nearly as lucky as two tears fell from my eyes before I looked away. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not," I lied and slightly hiccupped completely embarrassed that I couldn't hold it together for a whole five minutes in his presence.

"You're obviously crying," he deadpanned and I looked down.

"I don't cry," I hissed as my own defensive walls were starting to surround me again.

"Okay, so you're not crying, but you're obviously upset. I thought you'd be relieved," he pointed out as I gasped.

"Why on Earth would I be relieved? I'm the one being told that the one decision that I made, which for the record I thought was the right one, was now going to be held against me indefinitely. I didn't stay away from you because I wanted to; I did so because I was told to. I didn't want to be rude and decline the lunch invite, but I also didn't expect to walk away and like you. I figured you'd give me some indication that you weren't as good as you come off as or you'd do one annoying thing that would make me want to write you off, and it'd be over. Joke was on me, because in the end, I'm the only loser. Now excuse me, while I find Alice and get the hell out of her. At this point, I don't even know if I want a bid anymore, maybe my mom was right?" I snapped and turned on my heel to walk giving Edward absolutely no time to come after me without causing a scene.

I texted Alice to get to the front now or I was leaving her. Three seconds later, I watched her fly out of the jewelry section and to a register. I didn't even bother glancing up at Edward, who remained near the food court, as I signed my name on the dotted line and loaded our stuff back into our cart before walking out of the door.

**Oh Rosalie, you don't even know what you have done. I won't pinky promise, but you'll probably see Chapter 14 tonight :) Enjoy. **


	14. Link

**Word Prompt**: Link

By the time we got back to the dorms, I had told Alice not to even ask me about my little meeting with Edward. First, I didn't want to talk about it. Not with her, but also not with anyone. Second, I was slightly embarrassed at my hot and cold act. In my defense, I was sick of being talked for. Rosalie's assumption, Jasper's demand, and Edward's brush off all made me angry, and while I lashed out about sorority life to Edward, I didn't mean it. I wanted a bid. I wanted a damn Tri-Delta's bid and then I'd deal with all of that. Of course, that was my original plan to start with, but it didn't go as scheduled.

When Natalie and Chelsea showed up we started our moving night with lots of popcorn, chips, dip, candy, and soda. They were also hoping for Tri-Delta bids, but we knew there were only ten slots and tons more than ten trying to get in.

"So, have either one of you checked out the Greek Rating site recently?" Chelsea asked after our first movie ended. We had decided on watching 'No Strings Attached,' though being honest, I wasn't that into it. Ashton Kutcher was just not very attractive and his acting was sub-par.

"Not recently," Alice answered and reached for her Kindle Fire. "I suppose we can check out the latest reviews."

We then spent an hour combing through the comments on all the sororities and fraternities on campus. Consensus said, Tri-Delta's were stuck up bitches, yet a lot of fun. Sigma's were too into their books, and Alpha Omega's were whore's.

"_They have a reputation for being slutty, if you don't believe this, ask any brother, he's probably been with at least 2."_

"Total hater right there," I noted before clicking on a new link.

"Ooo, let's read about the Sigma Phi brother's. If we get in, we'll be seeing a lot of them," Chelsea recommended before grabbing the Kindle. "Oh, here's one."

"_Uptight and acts as if they rule the school. Their President is the biggest poser of all." _

"That was from two days ago," she noted as we all eyed each other.

"Well, they rule the looks department," Natalie chimed in while Alice laughed.

"At least one of them does," she said obviously favoring Jasper. Their relationship was no secret. "What do you think Bella?"

"I don't think their President is a poser," I answered and shrugged.

We quickly moved on from there before throwing in Breaking Dawn at Alice's insistence. I fell asleep half way through.

The next morning, we woke up to Alice's ringtone. Of course, all four of us shot up only to realize it was seven in the morning and Jasper was calling to wish her good luck. I wanted to throw a pillow at him.

However, it did give all of us time to wake up, grab a snack for breakfast, and go to our respective rooms to get ready for the day. Of course, that meant me staying still, but still it gave me time to hit the bathroom, shower, and get dressed.

At eight, we all decided we would meet back up and hang out. We didn't have any solid plans aside from waiting, but we did know that if we got a call, we'd have twenty-four hours to accept. If accepted, our first event was on Sunday evening and what was going to happen there was under tight lock and key.

At seven forty-five when I heard the first knock on my door I assumed it was just Alice being early, instead it was a guy. He wasn't wearing a delivery outfit nor did he wear anything that linked him to any organization on post.

"Are you Bella Swan?" he asked and I nodded. "Then, these are for you," he said before handing me a boutique of flowers in a large glass vase wrapped in a blue ribbon.

"Um, thank you," I replied and took them from him. "One second, let me get you a tip." I turned in my doorway, but he insisted that wasn't necessary. Part of me felt like his face was familiar and I'd seen him before, but I couldn't place him.

Sighing I sat the flowers down on my desk and looked for a card. When I pulled it out, I should have figured it would go unsigned.

'You should always have someone in your corner, since I know your parents aren't rooting for you, I am. Good luck today, Bella."

It didn't take long for me to narrow down the list of potential people who would do this. In fact, the list was so small it was literally two. Even without Edward's signature, I knew Alice wasn't going to send me flowers and five minutes later confirmed they weren't from her.

"What do you think it means?" Alice asked, but I was at a loss for words.

"Can I see your phone?" I asked and she handed it over without a second though.

"Who are you calling?" she asked when she realized I had put it up to my ear.

"Jasper," I answered a mere second before he answered. "Jasper, I need a phone number. Can you text Alice, Edward's number, please?"

"Um, sure, but I'll need to ask him if it's okay that I give it to her," he answered and I could hear the sleep in his voice.

"Ask him or don't ask him, hell, give him my number, just tell him I have five minutes of uninterrupted time to talk to him, and I'd rather do it without an audience," I explained realizing Natalie and Chelsea would be here any minute.

"Okay, Bella, I'm going," Jasper replied before hanging up the phone. I then shot him a text with my phone number.

"What are you doing?" Alice asked with a shocked looked on her face.

"Saying thank you, I'm over this cryptic, high school stuff." I literally threw my hands up in the air. "If he wants to talk to me, then I'm going to talk to him. No more rules, no more misunderstanding or miscommunication. I'm over it."

It took forty-five seconds before my cell phone rang.

"Good morning, Edward," I said as I answered. Alice had stepped outside to catch Chelsea and Natalie if they showed up, and I planned to meet them outside.

"Good morning, Bella," he replied right back. "Jasper told me you were quite persistent this morning. Five minutes, huh?"

"I can be, but I wanted to say thank you. My parents did raise me with manners," I shot back though I meant it to be more teasing than serious. The butterflies I had tried to keep down were rising in my stomach.

"You're welcome," he replied and while I already knew he had been behind it, hearing him actually admitting responsibility made me smile.

"Well, I won't keep you, so have a good day. I may be in need of that luck," I said into the receiver.

"I'll hope you get the bid of your choice," he stated before we both hung up.

Right as I opened my door to meet up with the girl's my text alert went off.

'_Can we talk after class on Monday?'_

I replied yes and kept talking.

When no one got a call in the first hour, we didn't panic.

When no one got a call in the second hour, we may have started to panic.

When no one got a call in the third hour, we all started to fear the worst.

We all opted for lunch off campus, my treat, but we all kept our cell phones out on the tables. Alice's went off first after we gave our orders.

"So, what did they say?" Natalie asked Alice who had the widest smile possible plastered on her face.

"I got a bid offer to Delta Delta Delta. I have to go accept it within twenty-four hours at the office," she squealed right as Natalie's phone went off. Chelsea looked at me and shrugged. Sure enough, she got the same bid.

Everyone made it through lunch before deciding to break off from each other for a little while when we got back to campus. Alice planned on hitting the main office at some point to sign her name, but I could tell she was trying to hide her excitement when I hadn't gotten a call yet.

Calls were going out anywhere between 8 AM and 4 PM that night, with it now 3 o'clock, I had all, but given up. I just hoped I wasn't given a snap bid because that would feel like a slap in my face.

Natalie had called to let us know Chelsea received a call from the Sigma house, it was her number two and she planned on taking it.

"Are you sure you want to be alone?" Alice asked as my watch hit 3:30.

"I'm sure, go sign your bid, I'll be fine," I lied and shut my dorm room door seconds later.

I never expected to rush and not get accepted anywhere. I guess I should have, but I really thought I had clicked with the all of the Tri-Delta sister's. The flower's mocked me from my desk and I resisted the urge to throw them away.

When my phone rang at 3:45 I almost didn't answer it until I saw it was Rosalie's number.

"Hello," I answered trying to make it sound like I wasn't upset.

"Hey, I have a quick question, have you gotten a call today?" she asked.

"Nope," I popped.

"I'm so sorry," she started and I assumed it was condolences. "Erika called a meeting with all of the officers who were making calls today. We get an e-mail as people accept their bids and we've had nine signatures, one being Alice, but not yours. Then we took a count to see who you had talked to you since your name is marked on the list, but no one remembered speaking to you. I had planned on calling you myself, but then I saw you already had been so I figured I'd get a hold of you tonight. So, I guess this is your official; you have a bid waiting for you speech. It's not the traditional speech, but I'm sorry about the mix-up, I hope you weren't too upset."

"Hold on," I choked as I sat up. "I got in?"

"Yes, you got in," Rosalie repeated as I pulled the phone away from my face and screamed. "Somebody is excited," she said as I pulled the phone closer to my ear, "So, I'll see you tomorrow night?"

"Of course," I replied through happy tears.

"Okay, be at the house no later than five. If it were me, I'd be here closer to four forty-five. Make sure you're wearing a black skirt, white shirt, and flats. Nothing overly flashy, no jewelry, make-up is optional, got it?" she asked as I told her that I did.

Once I hung up the phone with her, I sped through my contacts before I texted the first person I wanted to tell.

"_I got a Tri-Delta's bid." _

My phone alerted two minutes later.

"_I knew that you would. Congratulations, Bella. Looking forward to Monday.-E" _

Yeah, now I had Sunday and Monday to look forward to.

**You might see me later ;p**


	15. Lift

**Word Prompt**: Lift

Before I got to the building, I did actually text Alice the good news. Of course she was thrilled and called Natalie and Chelsea for me to give them the good news. While I was sad for Chelsea, I knew she would have been happy with either bid, so I tried not to dwell on it.

Alice had plans with Jasper for dinner, which he told her was like 'super' important or so she said, I just figured it meant that he was tired of sharing her with us for the past few days. Granted, he'd have to get used to it. To become a full fledge Tri-Delta sister was going to take a lot of hours and dedication on top of school.

When I got back to my room I called to check in with my parents, though only my dad was home and he told me everything was fine back home, and he hoped I'd be able to make it home soon for a visit. I knew Chelsea and Natalie had plans with their study group, which left me pretty bored.

As I looked through my contacts I decided to be a little daring. I mean, we were already going to talk on Monday, would be there be harm in saying hello now? I lifted my phone up and started texting.

'_What are you doing?-Bella'_

It took about a minute before he replied.

'_Finishing up a paper. What are you going?-E'_

'_Do you sign everything with E?-Bella'_

'_Yes.-E'_

'_What are you doing now?-Bella'_

'_Talking to you.-E'_

'_Now you're teasing me.-Bella'_

'_Maybe, quite possibly, yes I am as a matter of fact I am.-E'_

'_Smartass.-Bella'_

'_Okay, I'll be nice. What are you doing?-Edward'_

'_Oh my Gosh, you wrote out your name! Baby steps, Edward, baby steps. And, me? Nothing, I'm bored.-Bella'_

'_So, you decided to cure your boredom by texting me? How many people ignored you before someone wrote back?-Edward'_

'_None, I texted you first and you wrote back-Bella'_

I got a little nervous typing that out. Would I seem pathetic? Would he take it as a compliment? Had I gone insane?

'_Well, I'm officially bored now too. I should probably go find something for dinner.-Edward'_

'_Yeah, me too, I'm just being lazy. I really don't want to go to the cafeteria.-Bella'_

'_Sick of their food already?-Edward'_

'_Yes and no. I'm getting up to head out though, I really should eat. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how bad the after hours food is.-Bella'_

When my phone rang instead of alerted to a text, I slightly jumped. Then, I saw it was Edward calling and I smiled.

"Hello," I said into the phone.

"Hey, don't go out just yet," Edward said quickly.

"Okay," I accepted and took my hand off my door handle. "Why can't I go to dinner?"

"Because," he started though I heard some rustling around in the background as paper shuffled and something dropped. "Because, I'm coming to get you, give me like twenty minutes."

"Oh, really? Are you asking permission or is that an order?" I challenged.

"Which way would you prefer to take it?" he asked, and it took all I had to ignore that innuendo.

"I prefer to be asked verses told," I answered, and I could see him smiling in my head at my answer.

"Okay, then, Bella. Would you like have dinner with me in say, nineteen minutes from now?" he asked though I could still hear shuffling in the background.

"Sounds like fun, where can I meet you?"

Edward told me he'd pick me up outside my building door so I waited oh so impatiently staring at my clock as the seconds felt like hours. Finally when I decided enough time had passed I quickly locked my room up and headed outside. When I noticed him already outside waiting for me, I couldn't help but smile and wonder how much sooner I could have come down.

"You must have rushed," I noted as the door shut behind me. He shrugged but didn't say anything.

"How do you feel about Italian?" he asked as we walked towards the parking lot; our hands both swinging inches away as we walked, but neither one of us making a move to connect them. I wanted to, but first I knew we needed to talk and then evaluate what this meant for the future.

"I really, really like Italian," I answered playfully as I looked over at him.

"Well, that is a plus, how do you feel about Olive Garden?" he questioned on and all I could do was comment on how much I loved their salad and breadsticks.

Edward was the perfect gentleman, opening my door, making polite conversation on the drive over, helping me out of the car, and then holding the door open. We had appeared to have beaten the rush because the wait was only about ten minutes which we spent outside not saying much at all. In fact, it wasn't until we were seated a good hour after we stopped texting that Edward finally hit me with the question he desperately wanted the answer to.

"Are you ready to tell me who yet?" he questioned before our waiter even came to take our drink order.

"Can we focus on something else?" I pleaded, "Anything else."

"Bella," he started, but got cut off when Ryan, our server, came over to introduce himself and take our drink order. I naturally ordered a sweet tea, but Edward seemed to pause for a second before looking up at me and then down again. He then turned to Ryan and told him he'd be a minute and to serve me first.

"What's wrong?" I immediately asked when Ryan walked away.

"I didn't want to presume, do you care if I have a drink? If you're more comfortable, I'll hand you my keys, but I didn't want to assume, and," he trailed off as I stepped in.

"And, you're not used to taking underage girls out?" Edward's eyes widened in shock before I laughed to indicate I was joking, which I was, partially anyway. "I don't care if you drink, if you can't drive, I can."

"Okay," he answered hesitantly; obviously still trying to make sense of what I had just said.

When Ryan brought back my tea, Edward ordered himself a beer and the mozzarella stick as an appetizer. It seemed Edward wanted to take his time and draw this dinner out, which made me wonder what other hard hitting questions he wanted answers to.

"I'm sorry," I apologized once we were left alone again. "That was kind of rude to assume."

"No, it's fine I guess you're kind of right but also kind of wrong. I don't date, much, so I don't really take anyone out," he replied with the same hesitance as earlier.

"Then I'm doubly wrong for assuming," I apologize a second time as I backed away from the subject of dating.

"So, bids," Edward said changing the subject for me. "I wasn't really expected a text from you about it, though I'm happy that I did, but what time did you get your call?"

"You are not even going to believe the stress of today," I replied and then launched into the story about the sister's thinking I had been called, but I hadn't, so all of my friends had bids and I hadn't, and the mess that caused that Rosalie had to fix, but ending with me rushing to the office to sign my acceptance.

"Oh wow," he replied once I was done talking. "I'm sorry, I know mistakes happen, but I'm glad they figured it out before more time had elapsed."

"You and me both," I announced when a server brought out the mozzarella sticks.

"Aside from the obvious question you wanted answered that I'm still refusing to talk about," I started. "What else can we talk about that doesn't revolve around Greek life right now?"

"All of Greek life is off-limits?" Edward asked almost in disbelief. I wondered if that was hard for him. Being the President of his fraternity was huge, so I was sure most of his day revolved around Greek Life when he wasn't in class.

"I guess not all," I clarified not wanting to see him have a heart attack. "Just nothing to do with drama, how about that?"

"Okay, how about, are you excited for homecoming?" he asked, and I nodded my head enthusiastically.

"From what I've been told, the sorority throws a pretty big party for it with a theme," I replied. "Though I'm not sure if I'll actually be attending, pledging is kind of confusing in that regard."

"Pledging a fraternity isn't much different, but the sorority will be paired with a fraternity for that week," he reminded me.

"Yeah, I do wonder who our sorority will be married to for that week," I mused, and Edward just grinned. "It's you guys isn't it?" He shrugged his indifference, but winked signally that he did in fact know. "I'm about to instill a no teasing rule," I threatened and he burst out laughing.

"You're adorable when you're mad," Edward stated as I shot him daggers. "Even at Target, is that off-limits?"

"I guess not," I conceded wanting to see where this was going, but before I could, Ryan interrupted us to take our dinner orders. I wasn't lying when I said Edward was dragging this out and made a mental note to leave a substantial tip because we'd be taking up a lot of his time on a Saturday night.

"How about we start at the beginning," he pushed, and I nodded. "You won't tell me who, but you told me when. I am almost positive I know who, but I'm not approaching her until you admit it. If she did it, I think I know why, but what I don't understand is why you listened, when you didn't seem to want to?"

Edward's hand outstretched over the table and took mine. I stared down at our connected hands before looking back up at his face. "It started off by her telling me it was a non-sorority related issue, but she wanted to warn me. I took it a little too far I think. I didn't want her to think I was going to directly disobey everything she told me from that point on."

"So, out of fear?" he pressed quietly, and I shrugged.

"I guess, but fear seems like a harsh word," I answered as he nodded thoughtfully. He didn't say anything for a minute nor did he make any move to pull his hand away. I had to admit, I liked the feeling of holding his hand, though it made trying to drink my tea a little awkward. When he finally opened his mouth, I froze.

"Rosalie." It wasn't a question, but more like a statement, he just knew, and my reaction admitted it even if I didn't want to.

"Please don't," I pushed, but the damage was done. He knew and I didn't even need to say it to him. The look in his eyes told me he had figured it out and I started to second guess admitting to when I was told the day before. "All she told me was that you were really nice, but I shouldn't read into the signals because it's just how you were raised. She told me it was in my best interest just to stay away and that you preferred to keep your head in a book?"

"Thank you for your honesty," he said evenly, though he did tack on a finally a few seconds later.

"I'm sorry," I tried to say, but he cut me off pretty quickly.

"I'm not going to scream at you or anything," he spoke up just as quietly as I had. "I knew from the start, I just need the confirmation. I'll wait until Monday to talk to her, okay? It won't affect tomorrow night and honestly, shouldn't affect your station in the sorority regardless. What Rosalie did was wrong and she crossed a line, I've known that girl for nearly eight years now, hell she's practically my sister, which is why I know why she did it, but it doesn't change the fact that I will talk to her." He met my eyes and I could see that there was no talking him out of it.

"Why did she warn me?" I asked, but Edward shook his head.

"It's my turn to keep a secret for a little while," he replied leaving me to accept his answer with no room to push. "I do have an idea though."

"What's that?" I asked slowly.

"Why don't we just start over? No more assumptions, no more warnings, no more miscommunications, let's just be two people getting to know each other, starting a friendship, and see where that leads us," he proposed. He freed his hand from mine and held his glass up slightly; I lifted my tea up and let it clang together quietly.

"To new friends," I toasted.

"To new friends," he repeated.

**The word of the day is...good night :)**


	16. Furious

**Word Prompt:** Furious

I tried not to think about Edward too much on Sunday. At dinner, he told me his fraternity had quite a bit to get ready for the following day. It was their first night with their pledges, as it would be my first night as a pledge. I was excited and nervous, and as much as I may have wanted to bug him I didn't for two reasons.

One, he was busy. He told me he would be busy therefore it would be really rude of me if I ignored our previous conversation. I also didn't want to seem like I was hanging on him, because that brings me to number two; Edward is my friend. He is not my boyfriend, close friend, or best friend…just a friend who happens to be a boy. We didn't talk too much about the future or what might happen, but I was hopeful that as we continued to hang out, more would develop.

On top of being nervous for my 'bid party' as Alice called it, my mom had called me bright and early and I had set a date to go home. Three weeks from today I would be driving home to see my parents and subsequently admitting to pledging a sorority. I'd make sure enough people knew where I was headed so in the event I didn't come back, they'd know to go looking for me.

And, while that sounded extreme, it probably wasn't. My mother was going to be furious with me and I wasn't too sure how my dad would feel. Chances were, he'd take her side.

Regardless, I had to push those thoughts out of my head as I grabbed my clothes for tonight. The dress code was pretty simple and I opted for light make-up. No one really knew what tonight would entail, but I had a feeling we wouldn't be leaving the Tri-Delta's house.

Alice knocked on my door as soon as she was ready and we headed out together. Natalie planned on meeting us there.

"I think I'm more excited about tonight than I was to get a lavalier last night," Alice sang as she practically skipped ahead of me. I was excited, but she took excitement to a whole new level. Of course, Jasper giving her a lavaliere was also pretty huge.

After I got in from dinner with Edward, Alice texted to see if she could come over, which I said was fine. She knocked on my door wearing a white gold necklace with the Alpha Sigma Phi letter's engraved on a place that sat in the middle. She was also jumping up and down, but once I calmed her down she retold the story of her dinner date with Jasper.

Apparently, he had been waiting to give it to her after bids were over since he knew that was stressful, but he wanted her to know how much she meant to him. I think part of it had to do with the fact that it 'marked' her as belonging to someone else, but I wasn't about to tell her that. Instead I shared in her joy as she talked more marriage talk. The girl was crazy, but I guess Jasper was too since he was going along with it all. Still, it made me reflect on my own love life, or lack of one, and if I'd ever be graced with a lavalier or not. Thoughts of Edward's smiling face immediately popped into my thoughts as I worked to force them away.

When we got to the door, the nerves I had pushed down were definitely attempting to bubble up. Erika met us at the door and told us to find the Delta path and follow it. We weren't sure what we meant until we saw Delta letter's along the ground with arrows that lead to the basement. Inside was a long table with ten seats, each seat had their own name tag.

Alice and I were actually seated away from each other since it appeared to be going alphabetically and B was nowhere near S. When I sat down, noting that we were exactly fifteen minutes early and a few other girls were inside, I inspected the stuff on the table. There was a large stack of papers including a pen, a t-shirt, and a tote bag. I didn't dare touch anything before being told I could, so I had no idea what was actually in the tote bag, but I could tell it was stuffed with some items.

Stephanie, the Tri-Delta's President, Rosalie, Erika, Kelsey, Trisha, and Trina all walked in the second the clock struck 6 o'clock and shut the door behind them. With the door shut, the rooms seemed a lot darker, though the lights hadn't changed. Erika and Kelsey moved to three separate clusters of candles that represented three Delta letter's before coming back to sit in front of us with the rest of everyone else.

No one spoke a word and I didn't need to guess that the other pledges were all staring straight ahead.

Stephanie stood up and welcomed us first before instructing us to follow along in the packet of papers. The first section was very basic paper, mainly questions about us, emergency contacts, where we were in the dorms…etc. The second section was all financial and Stephanie said we would each set up an appointment with Rosalie before we left to take care of dues and payment plans if we needed one. To be in Delta Delta Delta wasn't much different than the dorm and meal plan, but we had our initial fee, registration fee, and pledge fee to pay first. The third section was the history of the Tri-Delta's from start to finish. Everything we needed to know, wanted to know, and would be tested on later would be found there. The fourth section, and final section, was our pledge rules. It detailed what would be expected of us over the course of the semester including the number of hours we would need to commit in order to go through initiation in December. Following initiation was a winter formal that they used a local hotel for.

The shirt that we were given signified that we were Delta pledges, including the words, "Delta Delta Delta Bid Party 2013' along the bottom. For the remainder of our time, before we were accepted into the sorority, the only shirts we were allowed to wear with their name had to be spelled out. No Delta letter's at all and no Tri-Delta abbreviations either. If it didn't spell out 'Delta Delta Delta' it was a no go. We also had to volunteer at least one weekend per month to be sober drivers for any of the sister's should they need a ride and those hours would be included in our overall hours towards pledging. Though I had a car, for those who didn't, they'd need to pair up with those who do or a sister would assign her car to be used for the weekend. Plus, a calendar of events was included so we would know the events for the upcoming months. I looked at homecoming week to see the theme they chose was 'women of the past'. I already had a few ideas for that one.

At the end, each sister stood up, introduced themselves, and opened themselves up for questions. They were the officers of the Sorority and would be our go-to people until our Big Sisters were assigned, though Stephanie said we would have our Big assigned within the week.

The tote bag wasn't laid out for us, we were just told to take it home and go through it there. It looked like a lot of Delta Delta Delta memorabilia once I was able to stand it up.

All and all, the meeting portion, lasted a little over an hour before the sister's told us to change into the shirts they had left out for us and come upstairs for finger foods and a social time with the sister's. While everyone mingled, we would have our time to ask questions, get with Rosalie, and whatnot.

While a room was offered for us to change in, none of us actually took it and just turned around to switch shirts. Thankfully the totes had our names pinned to them so I just threw my shirt inside and carried it up with me.

To say everyone was really nice and welcoming was an understatement. They each still wore name tags, but after a month, I didn't have any trouble with recognizing everyone.

About thirty minutes later, Rosalie pulled me upstairs into her officer's office.

"So, when would you like to come in?" Rosalie asked and pusher her calendar towards me so I could see when she had open slots. Her classes and mine seemed to be at the same times, so I chose the next day at five since that was the first day she had open.

"What do I need to bring?" I asked her and she handed me a check list. "I'm assuming you don't take debit?"

"No, we don't, but if you bring me a check from your account, I can pull it like a direct deposit. We'll also go over payment plans if you need one and all of that," she explained, and I didn't want to flaunt my allowance, but I wouldn't need one.

"Okay," I said with a nod and stood up.

"How are you enjoying tonight?" she asked conversationally as we walked back downstairs.

"It's a lot of fun. I really love it here," I answered honestly and she smiled.

"Good, I'm sorry I don't have a lot of time to hang out, but I'll see you tomorrow." Rosalie said her goodbyes before pulling another girl upstairs.

Alice and Natalie were talking to Stephanie when I walked over, and I heard Stephanie talking about the dress closet they had downstairs that the girl's used communally for events and functions. I walked in right as Stephanie said that it wasn't opened for pledges to use, but that didn't stop Alice from asking if she could organize it, or just well, see it. I doubted Stephanie had any idea what she had done when she told Alice she was more than welcomed to organize it whenever she wanted to drop by. I was pretty sure Alice was about to turn into a firework of confetti as she exploded with happiness.

All and all, the night went really well, and I knew I'd be back the next day to talk to Rosalie and then that Friday since I volunteered for my first round of 'sober sister'. I wasn't sure exactly how time consuming it was going to be, but I honestly wouldn't mind doing it most weekends if they needed it because I had my car with me on campus, and I needed to make sure they knew I'd be out of town for a few days three weeks from then.

When we got back to the dorm rooms I shot Edward a text, 'Hope your night went as well as mine. Night-Bella.'

I didn't expect anything back, but thirty seconds later my texts went off, 'Day 1 and we already had to cut a pledge. I've seen better nights.-Edward'

So I texted back, 'Ouch, I'm sorry. Hope it gets better-Bella.'

'Thanks, I'll see you in class, headed into a quick meeting with my officers and then to bed. Glad your night went well, I want to hear about it tomorrow. Lunch after class?-Edward'

I smiled as I texted my response, 'Just breathe, there is always tomorrow, and yes lunch tomorrow. Night.-Bella'

I went to sleep with a smile on my face that night.

**Lavalier- In the Greek system in American colleges, it refers specifically to a necklace bearing a fraternity's or sorority's letters. An accepted gift of a lavalier, called lavaliering, indicates a romantic commitment that may develop into a long term engagement, and marriage.**

**Good night :) **


	17. Wallet

**Word Prompt**: Wallet

Edward came to sit next to me in Psychology class though it wasn't a huge shock since we had finally started talking again.

"Good morning," I whispered as the professor walked through the door.

"Morning," he replied with a yawn before we both focused on the lecture. I was still fascinated by how attentive Edward was in class. I was no slacker, but I definitely felt a little inferior sitting next to him.

Much to my dismay, our professor was assigning us a group project at the end of his lecture. We'd be given a scenario to prepare an argument for, and then go up against another team in class two weeks from now to debate it. I looked over at Edward and cringed, though he kept smiling, _jerk_. He must love group projects, I hated them. My last group project was in high school and I got paired with two slackers, and while we got an A I did all of the work. I was silently hoping to have a good partner when our professor interrupted my internal ramblings.

"So, look to your right and introduce yourself if you haven't already because that will be your partner," our professor announced as an envelope began being passed around with issues to be argued. "If you have no one to your right come down here and find a partner. Class dismissed."

Edward looked over at me as I shook my head.

"Well, partner," Edward started in a teasing voice as he began to pull out the index card. The envelope came around to draw our topics and naturally he picked the card. "It looks like we will be arguing against Plan B."

I groaned, loudly.

"Are you serious? Out of everything, you drew that one?" I groaned again and stood up.

"Come on," he teased. "Your stomach is grumbling so loud, we need to get you fed."

"Hardy har har, Edward," I replied with an eye roll. "Where are we going to lunch anyway?"

"I don't know, where do you want to go for lunch?" he asked.

"Subway," I answered and he nodded.

"Then, we'll go to Subway."

The drive over was anything but quiet as we thought about different approaches to our topic. As a girl, I wasn't opposed to Plan B especially in situations of rape. So, having to come up with an argument against it was going to be rough.

"There is always the religious route," Edward pointed out, but I shrugged.

"It's a weak argument in a country with no standard religion," I shot back. I looked over to see his face turn very thoughtful. "What?" I asked immediately self-conscious that I had offended him.

"Nothing, just thinking," he said quieter than he had before. "Are you religious at all?"

"I don't know," I immediately replied. "I believe in God, but I've never spent much time in church. Why, are you?"

"About the same, though I spent a lot of time growing up in church," he answered.

"And, now?" I asked out of curiosity.

"I guess I prefer to sleep in, though I go every so often," he answered, "Mainly when my parents or aunt and uncle are in town." I chuckled before switching topics.

"So, religious angle may not work what else is there?" I asked out loud though it was just as much for me as it was for him.

"I don't know, I think we need to find some statistics on reasons why it's used," Edward suggested, and I agreed. "We should probably set up a time to get together to work on it too, but we can do that later." When Edward pulled into Subway I was happy to see the lunch hour hadn't hit yet.

We each ordered our food and made our way to the end. When I pulled my wallet out of my purse, Edward whispered behind me, "You can just put that away, Bella. I've got it."

"Um, no," I rebutted and opened it up. "You've bought me lunch and dinner, it's my turn." I turned to the girl and asked how much it would be for both, when she gave me the total I handed her a twenty. I looked back at Edward and he didn't look pleased, but I didn't care.

We found a table towards the back and away from the door.

"You can pout all you want, but fair is fair," I informed him with a dead serious tone. We weren't dating, so it wasn't like he could use that argument.

"It's not against the law to pay for lunch, Bella," he replied and I was starting to pick up on the fact that whenever he was annoyed, he'd add my name to the end of his sentences.

"I never said it was, Edward" I answered calmly. "We're friends remember, that means equals."

I swore I heard him mutter something, but I couldn't make out his words before he took a bite of his sub. What I said was fair, right? I mean, it wasn't like I couldn't pay for my own food, and I really didn't see what the big deal was.

"You're right," Edward started. "We are equals, I guess I was just raised that when you invite someone out, you buy. I don't mean to offend you, but college life isn't cheap and…"

I held my hand up. "Let me cut you off right there," I started to explain. "My parents, well, my mom, likes to spoil me and in turn, gives me a ridiculous allowance. I'm not flashy with money, and I know the average freshman is broke, but I'm not. Can we just leave it at that? I'll concede that you were raised with gentlemanly ideals and you'll have to understand that I was raised to be independent."

"Okay," Edward replied, and I hoped that would be the end of that. "Now, how was your bid party?"

"A lot of fun," I replied with a smile. "I wasn't too shocked at who showed up so that was good and all the sisters are awesome. I'm just really excited, though I'm only about half way through reading all the stuff they gave us."

"That's good, I remember when it came time for me to pledge, I was happy, but nervous as hell," he said before retelling a short story about his first night in the ASP house.

"Were you excited that Emmett pledged with you?" I asked.

"Yeah, I was, but most people didn't know we were related until after initiation. We have different last names and there isn't much of a family resemblance, so no one was the wiser until our parents came in on the same weekend and people put it together," he explained.

"Why keep it a secret?" I asked curiously.

"We wanted to be known as two different people, I was already struggling with the decision not to follow my dad's old fraternity, and I guess I wanted to stand on my own two feet without people knowing I was Emmett's cousin," he answered. "Emmett originally came to UW on a football scholarship, which isn't that surprising considering how big he is. His last game his sophomore year, he tore his ACL and that was the end of football. He tried physical therapy, but it wasn't the same, but before that, everyone knew him as Emmett the football player, and I never wanted that shadow. I was much quieter in my freshman year."

"I doubt you would have lived in his shadow," I tried to rebuke, but he shrugged with an almost a painful look on his face.

"I haven't always been so, outgoing, is the word I'm looking for, I guess. I've always been pretty quiet, nose in a book and all that. College has definitely gotten me to live a little more," he went on to explain though it almost sounded like he was choosing his words a little carefully.

"Well, you seem no worse for wear now," I pointed out, and he nodded.

"No, I think everyone grows up in college. Or well, they're supposed to," he answered before taking another bite of his sub.

"You know, I don't even know your last name." I realized out loud, not exactly meaning to say it.

"Masen," he replied as I looked up. "Edward Masen."

"Strong name," I teased. "Not easy to make fun of though. My last name is way too easy."

"Swan isn't so bad." To his credit, he tried really hard to say that with a straight face before cracking up.

"Sure, not so bad at all." I rolled my eyes before grabbing a chip to throw at him.

"Hey, now," he teased, "We're a little old for food fights."

"You're the old one, not me." I smirked with my tongue out before he landed my Dorito right back in my face. My once smile turned into a glare though he still laughed.

When I looked down at my watch, I realized we needed to head out soon and we hadn't even really talked about the stuff we were supposed to talk about.

"So, Rosalie." I switched topics so fast Edward actually blinked.

"Yes, her," he replied. "She already knows to expect me tonight, she just doesn't know why."

"Will you be nice, please?" I begged on her behalf.

"I'm not going to ripe her head off, Bella," Edward's tone turning a little harder. "Much," he finished as I grimaced. "You have to understand, I've known Rosalie a lot longer than you have."

"She was just looking out for me," I interrupted, but he just stared at me.

"Who is to say you're the only person Rosalie's ever told to stay away from me? Not that I've always been incredibly popular, but it begs the question of what else she's willing to do when she thinks I'm not listening," he pointed out and a part of me cringed. What if I wasn't the first girl she told to stay away? What if a previous girl would be dating him now if she hadn't?

"Okay, okay, I get it," I admitted. "You're right; just let me know how it goes okay?"

"I promise to call," Edward replied.

A phone call was all I could really ask for anyway.

**Sorry that the weekend got so hectic I didn't have a chance to write. The next chapter is going to involve the Edward & Rosalie argument, I just haven't decided who's POV I'm doing it from. **

**Have a great night :)**


	18. Puzzle

**Word Prompt**: Puzzle

I tried my hardest to pay attention in my last class of the day, but it was a struggle. Even though Alice didn't ask why I had all my books with me or why I was running late again, I could tell that she was watching me. She always had a knack for knowing when something was off, so it shouldn't have been that surprising that she picked up on my anxiety.

Thoughts of Edward and Rosalie's talk definitely swirled in my head and it made it hard to focus. Would he be too mean to her? Would she lash back out at me? Would it affect my ability to pledge? I hoped the answer to all of that was no, but I couldn't be sure. Rosalie has always been sweet to me, but I've seen her in public and she is not friendly to all. Would she turn into that with me now? Would she still be my big sister?

By the time class was dismissed, my head was a puzzled mess but I forced a smile and walked back to the dorms listening to Alice chatter about her upcoming date with Jasper. Apparently, the Whitlock's were going to be in town for a business function and they were going to dinner with Jasper's parents. Even though I've never had a real 'meet the parents,' situation I guessed I would be a lot more scared than Alice was. I had only dated a little in high school, but growing up in the same town meant I knew all of their parents anyway and they knew me. Being the daughter of the police chief meant I was at every town meeting, town festival, town anything really, so the surprise and newness was definitely gone. It also meant no anxiety, but I doubted I have any 'meet the parents' meetings in my future so I decided not to think about it.

"You are going to help me pick out my outfit right?" Alice asked drawing me from my own internal musings.

"Of course, can we look at options tomorrow, I have to be at the Tri-Deltas house in like an hour," I explained as I remembered my appointment with Rosalie to go over finances.

"Sure," she replied as we walked into my room and sat down at my desk. "I go in tomorrow to talk to her. But, back to Jasper, should I go for sophisticated or like down homey?"

"What the hell is down homey?" I asked with my eyebrows raised as I pulled paperwork out to give to Rosalie. Everything I needed to sign and fill out I had done the night before including the check I needed to have ready.

"I don't know, like girl next door?" she clarified and I nodded.

"Alice, I think you should go as Alice. Be who you are, Jasper fell in love with you, there is no way they'll be able to resist doing the same," I answered honestly.

"That's very sweet Bella, but this is make or break," she fretted. "What if it's break?"

"I doubt it," I replied and she shrugged. I knew there was some nerves under that excitement, but we would have tomorrow to talk about it. First, I had an appointment to keep.

"I'll see you later?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, I actually need to run to the store tonight, do you wanna come?" I suggested and she said she would. I was running dangerously low on shampoo and body wash, and that just wasn't going to work so I needed to go soon.

On my walk over to the Tri-Delta's house a bunch of thoughts went through my mind,

_Had Edward already talked to her?_

_If he hadn't, should I warn her?_

_Would she hate me if I didn't warn her?_

_Would Edward be mad if I did warn her?_

_Did I owe him anything? Did I owe her anything?_

By the time I got to the street, my head hurt, but I tried my best to push it all aside. I looked down on my watch to see I was about twenty minutes early so I slowed my pace down before calming to an immediate halt at the sound of raised voices.

I could see the walkway up to the Tri-Delta's door through the bushes, but whoever was talking was on the other side of where I was. I wasn't sure what I had just walked in on so I started to tip toe backwards _until I realized whose voices it was. _

"_Rosalie, are you kidding me?" Clearly Edward speaking._

"_What? I thought you'd appreciate it." Rosalie obviously shot back._

"_Rose, doing me a favor would have been like saying, Hey Edward, I think you should cool it unless you want to lead a poor girl on, not by the way Bella, stay away from Edward he's a freak." _

"_I did not tell her that," Rosalie defended, and she was right, she hadn't said that. _

"_You're right, you didn't, but you may as well have. I keep my nose in a book so I obviously can't talk to a girl? You do realize I'm at ninety percent of our fraternity events, right?" _

"_Look, I'm sorry, you're right, I shouldn't have said anything, but after freshman year, I thought I was doing you a favor," Rosalie's voice sounded a bit calmer. _

"_This was about Kara?" Who the hell was Kara? _

"_Of course that is what this is about," Rosalie answered him. "I just didn't want another incident with a potential pledge this time." _

"_If Bella was anything like Kara would you really have wanted her to pledge? Think about it Rosalie, they're nothing alike."_

"_Well, no, but…"_

"_Rosalie, you do realize that by going to Bella, who up until that point had spoken maybe ten total words to me, you completely misused your position as a sorority officer? Not only was she scared to say even two words to me she feared that any actions with me would mean a direct cut from your bid list." _

"_No," Rosalie drew out. "I told her it had nothing to do with the sorority." _

_There was a silent pause for a second and I could almost see Edward raising an eyebrow at her in my head. I hadn't meant to stay in place, in reality, I didn't want to, but I also didn't know what else to do. _

"Okay, fine, you're right, what can I do to fix this?" she asked.

"_You can't fix it, Rose, I'm obviously having to." Edward announced and part of me wanted to smile. _

"_You really like her?" Rose's voice turned the calmest I had heard since I started listening._

"_Yes, I really like her." Edward answered Rosalie and that time I did smile. _

"_But, she's a freshman."_

"_And I'm stuck in school until she graduates, what else is new?"_

"_Does that mean you're staying local for medical school, I thought you told Carlisle…"_

"_I'm staying local."_

"_Are you dating?"_

"_Not officially, with the mess you caused I figured a friendship would be a good start."_

"_I am sorry; I seriously thought I was doing you a favor. I just didn't want to see you go through the same mess again, Edward. I don't think you realize exactly how nice you come off sometimes and how quickly do you see me like anyone. I just didn't want to wind up in the middle." _

"_Maybe I wanted to come off as nice?"_

"_Yeah, I guess you'd want to if you actually liked her. You interested in a girl, huh, I never thought I'd see the day. Baby E is growing up."_

"_Shut it or I'm calling Emmett right this second."_

"_You wouldn't dare."_

"_Watch me. I need to get going though, we have a meeting tonight and I have a phone call to make."_

"_Yeah, I have an appointment in, crap, two minutes."_

I froze and held my breath as I heard their feet shuffling.

I wanted to run down the sidewalk and make it look like I was running late. I wanted to hide behind a bush and pretend like I hadn't just heard all that.

I wanted to do a lot of things, none of which involved freezing the second Edward's eyes caught mine.

**I know it's shorter than average, and I know this probably causes more questions than answers, BUT I had a good reason for cutting it off there. Expect 19 to be a bit monstrous. **


	19. Serene

**Word Prompt:** Serene

Edward's face immediately registered surprise as I stayed frozen in place. I kept waiting for Rosalie to walk around the corner to spot me to, but she never came. I could hear faint steps headed away from us so I assumed she never saw me. One step at a time Edward walked closer to me, though he didn't say anything to me at first.

"Exactly how long have you been standing here, Bella?" he asked quietly as I bit my lip.

"Longer than I should have," I replied back with my eyes down. He had tacked my name on the end so I knew he was annoyed.

"I told you I would call you. Did you not believe me?" he asked and I realized I had forgotten to tell him that I had an appointment today. Hell, I had somewhat forgotten after our lunch date, though I probably should have.

"The appointment Rosalie mentioned, that's me," I answered, and he nodded. "I should have told you earlier and I forgot, I didn't realize I would walk into your conversation. I'm really sorry."

He sighed for a second, but didn't say anything before looking down at his watch. "I have to go. I have a meeting; I'll call you when I get done. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," I stuttered before he walked away.

I barely had time to blink before I looked down at my watch to see I was late. When I got up to the door I wasn't too surprised to see Rosalie waiting for me, her face was pretty blank of any expression.

"Did you see Edward on your way in?" she asked curtly and I nodded. "I figured that is why you were running late."

"I was actually early," I replied though I hadn't really meant to.

":How early?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Twenty minutes," I answered honestly as her eyes went wide.

"Come on, Bella, it seems we have more than money to talk about," she announced before leading me upstairs. A few of the sisters were working on a project in the main room so I said hi, but didn't really chat instead focused on staying right before Rosalie.

Each step up the stairs felt a little heavier than the last and I absentmindedly wondered if this is what pirates felt like when they were told to walk the plank. When the heavy wooden door shut, I actually jumped. Rosalie moved around me to sit at her desk, she had yet to show any real emotion.

"I can explain," I started, but she held up her hand.

"Business first," she replied. "Do you have the forms ready?"

"Yeah," I answered and dug into my purse to find everything I had brought. "Here you go."

"Thank you," she replied before turning to her computer. I sat silently for about five minutes as she inputted the information, checking, and doubling checking. I didn't dare interrupt her because I could tell I wasn't her biggest fan today, but still, I was starting to get tired of just staring at her.

"Now payment plans," she started and pulled out a sheet to slide over to me. "We have a few different options, just let me know what will work for you and I'll get that started."

"Can I just pay in full?" I asked and pushed the sheet away from me.

"Sure," she answered with a surprised look on her face. "Let me get you a receipt. You realize it's initial fee, registration fee, bid fee, and semester fee right? The pledge period is actually the most expensive phase; it'll greatly decrease next term."

"No, it's fine I can cover it," I replied, Rosalie nodded and turned back to her computer. I figured if my parents disowned me at least I would be paid up for this semester. I would have to find some sort of job for the rest of college, but I really hoped it never came to that.

"Okay, your receipt should print in just a second. As far as fees and such, you're done, but there will be things that pop up throughout the semester in terms of shirts, homecoming, formal, I'm assuming you've considered all of that," she relayed, as I nodded.

"Yeah," I answered and waited for her to chance subjects.

"I don't really know how to start this next bit, so I'm going to talk and you're going to listen because I'm probably going to ramble. When I told you this had nothing to do with the sorority, I meant it. Nothing you have done or will do, in terms of Edward, will change your standing here unless it involves a scandal or controversy. I meant that, and I hadn't really thought about what it would sound like coming from me, so I'm sorry for confusing you. I was not talking to you as a Tri-Delta's sister; instead I was talking to you as someone who feels like Edward's sister at times.

"I've known Emmett and Edward since our freshman year of high school. My dad transferred in with his job, I was new in town, and Emmett be-friended me pretty quickly. Edward was quiet, but nice to me in his own way. Things got heavy with Emmett and we actually just celebrated our eight year anniversary a few weeks ago, so to say I've been around them for a while is well, an understatement.

"Edward has always been quiet and reserved, and I never understood it. He's never been my type, but he's not bad looking, had pristine manners, was well liked by teachers," Rosalie explained. She paused at her desk and I could almost see her weighing her words in her head. She took a breath before continuing.

"Emmett's parents are amazing; honestly, I love them more than my own. When you see Carlisle and Esme there is just something magical about them, you see the love they have, and even though they have a great bit of wealth they never pander around with it. I had assumed Edward's parents would be more of the same, and in a way, Elizabeth is, but Edward Sr. is a force to be reckoned with. He's the polar opposite of his brother, and I started to see why Edward spent so much time at his aunt and uncle's. Edward Sr. walks into the room and it's like Edward snaps to attention. If you could have seen the family feud when he decided he didn't want to be a lawyer, seriously, I thought there was going to be bloodshed. But, still, Edward stands up and respects his parents, but college had changed him in small ways. He's come more into his own. I won't get into Kara, I know you probably overheard the name, but I'm not re-telling that story because I honestly don't think I know all the details. I'd like it known that I never thought you'd turn into someone like her, but I still feel very protective of Edward, as does Emmett.

"Emmett had a rough time after his knee injury and Edward got him through it. I guess what I'm trying to say is the Edward you know; the one you've met isn't always the Edward I see. Sometimes I look at him and see the same boy who has taken years' worth of assaults and badgering, who is loyal to a fault, and who sometimes doesn't understand exactly how he comes off. I don't think you're a bad person, if I did you obviously wouldn't be here, and I'd like to never speak of this event again. Forget what I said, go about your life, if it works, great, if it doesn't, just try not to break his heart in the end, okay?" Rosalie finished and it almost looked like she had tears in her eyes, but she looked away too quickly for me to verify.

"Look," I began my own speech. "I know I'm young, a freshman compared to senior's and all, but I'm not naïve. I didn't think you said what you said to be vicious and I told him that, and I appreciate your honesty now, but just know I'm not out to be the bad guy. I don't really know what the future holds, but I do like Edward. I'm not really sure what that means but I want to stick around to figure it out. And, I agree, we just need to forget it all happened and just let life move how it may."

"You're a very wise girl," Rosalie said a few minutes later. "I should probably let you get out of here; will you be here tomorrow night for the pizza party?"

"I was planning on it," I replied.

"Good, good, we decided to partner up with the ASP boys so you'll probably see a few familiar faces," she explained and I wondered if that meant Edward.

"Fun." I stood up and gave Rosalie a hug. I knew there was more to the story than I was being told and I respected the side she told. I also knew Edward had a lot to explain too, but that would come in time. It sounded like his life was a lot harsher than I had realized or that he'd let on and that made my heart hurt for him a little bit. I didn't pity him though, if anything it made me prouder that he had come through it with such strength.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Rosalie said again as we exited the offices. Maggie waved to me from down the hall as I hollered out a 'hey'.

Once I got back downstairs I knew what had been said with Rosalie would never be brought up again, at least, I hoped. She said goodbye to me at the door as I walked away feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Well, for the most part, I still needed to talk to Edward and was happy to see a missed text when I pulled my phone out.

'_Meeting finished early, call me when you're done with Rose.-Edward'_

My cell phone was calling before I even got to the sidewalk.

"Hello," I said the second Edward answered.

"Hey, where are you at?" he asked.

"Just leaving the Tri-Delta's house," I replied.

"Do you have any other plans tonight?" he questioned, and I thought back to Alice and my Target trip I needed to make.

"I wanted to run to Target with Alice, but it can wait, why?" I stood still on the sidewalk not sure which direction I should be walking.

"Dinner?" he asked, as I broke out into a smile.

"You had lunch with me, was that not enough?" I teased with a smirk.

"Nope, an hour was not enough. Do you want to come to the ASP house or should I pick you up at your dorm?" he asked as I looked down at my feet. I was much closer to the ASP house than I was my room, so I decided I'd just walk to him before hanging up and calling Alice. She told me she understood and wanted details later so I was happy she didn't mind rescheduling our shopping trip.

"Books!" Emmett called from the front yard. He was outside throwing a football with a guy I had never seen before.

"Well, hello to you too, Emmett," I hollered back with an eye roll. He jogged over to me, but I put my hands up. "Take it easy there, old man. We wouldn't want you to strain anything."

"Awww, someone is feisty today," he joked as I smirked.

"Who is this, Brother Emmett?" The guy I hadn't recognized came up to talk and I balked at his nickname.

"This here is Books, otherwise known as Bella, she's a Tri-Delta's pledge this semester," Emmett explained like I wasn't there.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Brad, Alpha Sigma Phi Pledge," he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you," I replied back before turning back to Emmett. "Brother Emmett?"

"It's a pledge thing," he explained as I chuckled.

"Okay," I drew out.

"What brings you here this evening," Brad interjected with a pretty boy smile that was a little too bright for my liking.

"I'm looking for your President, is he around?" I asked playing along in the obvious hazing of this pledge. It wasn't dangerous at least, though definitely humiliating. I guess I was lucky that I didn't have to refer to Rosalie as 'Sister Rosalie' because that would be awkward and make me feel like I lived in a convent.

"He's inside Bella; would you like me to get him?" Emmett asked and I nodded. He disappeared behind their front door leaving me with Brad, which definitely made me reconsider my answer to Emmett.

"You're a freshman?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, and you?" I returned the question, though it was more out of being polite than me actually caring about the answer.

"Yeah, first year, really exciting," he replied. "So, what do you need with our President, must be pretty serious for you to come all this way."

"Not really, I was over at the Tri-Delta's house, I wasn't far," I answered and turned my head to see Edward coming out with Emmett. "And, dinner. Just dinner."

Brad never got a chance to reply before Edward and Emmett were in earshot and I could tell by their sudden presence that he was watching his actions more. His once relaxed shoulders turned rigid in seconds.

"Hey, babe," I said as I turned to Edward. Thankfully his back was to Brad so he couldn't see Edward's face register shock, though it didn't take him long to figure it out once I raised my eyebrow and motioned for him to play along.

"Hello there," Edward replied after a second. "We'll see you guys later." Edward tugged on my hand to follow so I did, but not before I stole a glance at a very frozen Emmett and a sad looking Brad.

When we got into Edward's car he just looked at me and shook his head. "Was he bothering you?" he asked and I could tell it was a serious question to him.

"Bothering, no, not really, but he kind of creeps me out, so thanks for playing along," I replied.

"No problem, I'm glad I could be of assistance, though you realize I'm going to have to explain this to Emmett, right?" he noted.

"Explain what?" I feigned innocence.

"That whole, babe, comment," he replied and air quoted the word babe with one hand as he drove.

"Well, you could tell him that I call all of my friends babe," I lied and Edward cracked up laughing. "What? I could call him babe, but Rosalie may kill me."

"Speaking of, how was your meeting you forgot to tell me about?" His tone turned from joking to serious pretty quickly as I sighed.

"It went fine, we're dropping it, and pretending like it never happened," I cliff noted.

"That's it?" He actually turned to look at me with a confused look on his face while we waited at a stop light.

"Yup, sometimes for girl's, it's really that simple. So, I guess one down, one to go for me," I teased to lighten to mood.

"One down, one to go, what?" he pushed.

"Well, I heard Rosalie's side, now I want to hear yours when you're ready to tell it," I answered honestly. The truth was, I was dying to know who Kara was and why she caused so many issues. But, the reality was, if I wanted any sort of future with Edward I needed to go at his pace. Give a little to get a little.

"I see," was his only reply. Edward continued to drive until we hit the main strip. "I'm sorry I didn't ask this time," Edward apologized as we parked. "Hopefully, you want Italian again."

"Italian is perfect any night of the week," I replied with excitement and he smiled before getting out and opening my door. "Tell me, who should I thank for your impeccable manners?"

"Probably my Aunt Esme," he answered and opened the door to the same café we came to for our very first lunch.

We were seated back in the same corner we had originally and this time our server was a guy who was definitely not swinging for my team. I thought the ladies had it bad for Edward, but apparently he wasn't immune from the other side either.

"So¸ how much did you hear?" he asked, and I thought back to the conversation.

"I came in around the time you asked Rosalie if she was kidding," I replied.

"Pretty much from the start then, I had only been there five minutes before you got there. Why didn't you come around the corner?" To be fair, it was an honest question and one I had even asked myself.

"I don't really know, I just kind of froze and couldn't move. You'd go from being clear as day to sounding muffled and I was so scared you would think I had planned to be there that I panicked, I'm sorry," I apologized and hung my head. Edward's arm immediately jutted forward and used his fingertips to raise my chin.

"Don't look down," he ordered softly. "I did question whether you were eavesdropping on purpose, but you had a valid reason to be there. I can't fault you for that and you're not obligated to hand me your calendar to cross check or anything. I guess at first I was as shocked to see you there and it wasn't until I walked away that I felt like my head cleared. I feel like I keep mis-stepping with you and it's aggravating me."

"You're not mis-stepping, Edward," I interjected. "I don't know what you're doing, but it's not that."

Neither one of us spoke for a few minutes; we just sort of stared at each other. His hands were clearly sitting on the table and it wouldn't take much for me to grab one of them. I wanted to, just to feel what it would be like to actually touch him out of want. The last time he held my hand we decided to be friends, but I wasn't so sure I was comfortable with that anymore. We didn't really act like friends, at least, I didn't act towards him like I did towards my other guy friends. I'd never be having these types of interactions or conversations with Emmett or Jasper, and I counted them as guy friends, even though Emmett's nickname for me drove me insane.

When Jordan came with our appetizer I actually welcomed the interruption because the silence had begun to feel thick.

"Enjoy," he cheered as he placed mozzarella sticks and bruschetta in the center of the table. We had already ordered and I was looking forward to my stuffed shells, but the bruschetta looked amazing and I couldn't wait to try it.

Edward snatched his two mozzarella sticks with a smirk and it was in that moment that I realized he was as confused as I was. I doubted either one of us had much experience in friendships or hell, relationships like this so I was sure he was second guessing as much as I was. But, how did we fix that?

Instead of pushing us into a conversation about the future in the middle of his favorite restaurant I decided to steer the conversation away from the current and asked about his bid party or whatever fraternity called it.

"It was rougher than normal," he started to explain with a sour look on his face. "Punctuality is kind of key at first and the bid I had told you about that we cut, yeah, he showed up forty-five minutes late. When we asked him why, he just said he slept late and didn't see the big deal. After that we asked him to leave and it just felt bland after that."

"I'm sorry," I said with mild sympathy. I'm sure his role as President was tough especially when things didn't pan out the way they were supposed to.

"Thank you, but it's nothing to worry about. I have faith this pledge class will turn around and wow us, otherwise, they'll have to double their effort next year with recruitment," he commented and it got me thinking about something he had said earlier.

"Will you be the President again next year?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"No, I'll step down at the end of the year. I'm already applying to medical schools, and when I get in, I just won't have the time to commit to it. I'll still try to come to events and be active as an alumnus, but my days of actively being in a fraternity will be over," he replied as I nodded my head thoughtfully.

"That's exciting though, another hurdle cleared before you hit the finish line," I remarked and he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm excited, but next semester will be nerve wracking when I wait to hear about acceptance," he noted and I understood. "Are you coming to the pizza party tomorrow?" Edward asked out of the blue.

"Yes, Alice and I planned on coming; in fact, we're going to make a strong effort to hit every event we can. We need 200 hours by the end of semester," I answered.

"Well, we volunteered our pledges to be the runners so a bunch of us will be over there," Edward explained.

"That was nice of you," I commented and he shrugged.

"We like to do stuff with the Tri-Delta's house and I figured it'd give our houses a chance to mix now that bids are over."

"Always the President," I teased as Edward glared. Our food was served a few minutes later and the conversation turned more towards our everyday stuff. A little about the project we had for Psychology and stayed away from everything important.

I didn't argue when Edward paid the bill nor did I comment when he opened my door for the car. In fact, I was so into the music, I realized we hadn't said much of anything until he parked to drop me off at my building. It was only eight so still pretty early.

Once we got to the front door I could see the heaviness from earlier creeping back up. I also realized my chance to get him away from everything to talk was also closing. We had talked while we were eating, but I didn't feel like it was the appropriate place to really talk.

"So," Edward started awkwardly.

"Do you wanna come up?" I asked quickly. "To talk," I clarified. "I swear, just to talk."

Edward looked down and then back up at me and then down again before agreeing. I took his hand and lead the way to my dorm room.

"No roommates?" he asked once the door was shut.

"No, though Alice is like four doors down," I answered. "Sorry, it's not much."

"Cleaner than my freshman dorm ever was," he joked and I looked at him. "What? I was busy my freshman year, it got better later on."

"I see," I replied, but didn't say anymore.

"You wanted to talk," Edward reminded me. "What do you want to talk about?"

"What are we doing?" I asked as I sat down on my bed. It was up against a corner so I used it like a sofa at times; I patted the seat next to me. Edward sighed, but came over to sit next to me.

"What do you mean?" he asked and I felt the butterflies rushing my head.

"I mean, this back and forth, it's gotten confusing. One minute I feel like we've made progress and then a day like today happens, and it's like we're back at square one. I don't like feeling nervous around you," I confessed as I watched Edward's hand creep closer towards mine.

"I make you nervous?" he asked and it almost sounded like he was in disbelief, but I just nodded and bit my lip. "Stop," he whispered and pulled my lip from my teeth. "I don't want to make you nervous."

"What do you want?" I asked confidently though internally I felt the completely opposite.

"You," he answered and I was pretty sure my heart skipped a beat.

"I really like you," I stuttered out as I moved my body to face his. "I just can't do this back and forth anymore."

"I happen to hate the back and forth," Edward replied, and I nodded.

"So, we're…" I stopped not sure what word to use.

"Dating?" Edward supplied. "Yes, I think what this is."

"Good, and by dating, that is exclusive right? I really don't share well," I warned and Edward chuckled.

"I happen to loathe sharing," he replied as his face inches closer to mine. "I'm going to kiss you, Bella."

"I'm not going to stop you," I answered seconds before he took my lips in his own. I moved my hands to his shoulders to keep myself from floating away as electricity surged through my body. The feeling of Edward touching me was enough to cause butterflies, but the feelings of his lips on mine were like fireworks that I never wanted to stop. It took all my might not to straddle his hips to kiss him deeper, but I retrained myself…just barely.

"I could get use to that," Edward teased after we pulled apart. I hummed my agreement, but didn't say anything for a long minute.

"Can you stay? We can watch a movie or something," I offered and I could see Edward weighing that in his head. "I just like spending time with you, uncomplicated time with you that is."

"I can stay for a while," he breathed out a second later. "Bella, before things go much further and I risk hurting your feelings I think we should discuss something."

"Okay," I replied a I reached for my book of DVDs. His tone hadn't caught me as too serious, though he did sound nervous. I looked over at him to see an almost scared look on his face. "You're a virgin?" I blurted out my question and it shocked him just enough to cause him to cough and choke at the same time.

When he came to, he just stared at me. "No, I'm not, but it's sort of in line with that subject. I don't have casual sex."

"Okay," I said again and turned towards him, my DVD book just sitting open. "You mean like waiting for marriage?" I really wasn't sure what to do with that information.

"No, not quite that far, but I do want the next person I have sex with to one day be my wife," he clarified as I just nodded my head.

"I can respect that," I explained before grabbing for my DVD book again. I had to admit, his confession threw me for all about a second, but in reality, I didn't really expect much less from him.

"It doesn't bother you?" he asked, and I shook my head no.

"How about _The Avenger's_, have you seen that yet?" I suggested and looked up to see a stunned look on Edward's face.

It took him a second to recover before agreeing to my movie choice. We ended up pulling my blanket up and lying with my back to his chest on my bed as we watched the movie. His hand would brush over my arm every so often, and I was pretty sure his lips would kiss the back of my head during the few parts I squirmed, but still it felt normal being like this with Edward.

It was definitely something I wanted to get used to.

**I had a reviewer ask for a longer chapter, so you're welcome ;p This will probably be the absolute longest chapter of Tote as I really tend to stay in the 2K range for WitFit's. Not that some won't be longer, but this is weighing in at 4.6K which is a lot. **

**Hopefully this answers some questions, may cause a few more, but pretty soon Bella is headed home to mommy dearest! Hope you didn't forget about her. See ya'll soon. Aren't they cuter when they're happy?**


	20. Spirit

**Word Prompt**: Spirit

"Only you could go through so much in one day and it seems normal," Alice teased as we made our way to the Tri-Delta's house.

We had hit Target the second our classes let out and even grabbed a few new pairs of jeans before rushing home to get ready for the pizza party. We both decided to wear the pledge tank tops we were given in our bags, they spelled out the 'Delta Delta Delta' name so at least they were within the guidelines, and would show some Tri-Delta spirit. As we shopped and drove I filled her in on the day and night before.

"Will he be there tonight?" Alice asked as we rounded a corner.

"Yeah, I talked to him earlier and he said he was heading over with Emmett a little early to help set up. Apparently it's in the basement tonight," I explained and Alice nodded. She was still a little bummed that Jasper wasn't sure whether he was coming or not. He had a study group he needed to meet with and didn't know how long he'd be there.

"Well, at least I'll get to see the two of you being all kissy-kissy instead of watching you hide behind every wall on campus," she joked as I shot her a glare. We were just dating, I was pretty sure he wasn't going to walk up and shove his tongue down my throat, not that I'd mind if he did, but it did make me question what was and wasn't okay.

Edward and I had gotten close the night before and he definitely liked to cuddle, which was pretty awesome since I kind of liked that stuff, but we'd be in public now. Did I approach him? Did I wait for him to approach me?

'Crap,' I cursed in my head, after last night I thought the worrying was over. Apparently now I had an entirely new thing to question.

Thankfully there were a few sisters' outside when we arrived so we were ushered straight in and told to follow the signs downstairs. I kind of laughed at how prepared they were, but I figured following the music was probably a good indication for where everyone was. While we were a few minutes early, the room was already decently filled and everything appeared to be set up. A long stretch of tables sat on one side of the room while seating was setting up around a large TV at the back center of the room. A popcorn machine was already popping popcorn at the end of the table and there was a healthy amount of drinks near it, some alcoholic and some non-alcoholic.

"Your boy toy is staring at you," Alice commented from my side as I scanned the room. I turned in the direction she was looking and sure enough, all of our friends were standing together with Edward looking our way.

I guess it was now or never on figuring out the PDA issue.

"Hey Bella, hey Alice," Rosalie greeted as we walked over and I was more than a little happy at her friendly demeanor.

"Hi," Alice replied as I waved.

"Hey, you," Edward whispered before giving me a quick kiss on my forehead. He was close enough for me to get a whiff of his cologne and it was sad to admit, it made me want to melt into his side.

"How are you?" I asked though I had to admit, even after last night, he still made me nervous.

"Good, how were your classes?" he replied with his own question.

"Sleep worthy," I joked as he let out a laugh. It was so easy to get caught up in our own little bubble that I hadn't realized the people around us were no longer talking. When I looked over at Emmett I challenged him with my eyes to say a word. Rosalie cracked a smile and Alice gave me a pout, probably still annoyed that Jasper wasn't here.

"I didn't say anything, Books, nothing at all," Emmett admitted before pulling his cell phone out. "Let me check on where the guys are with the pizzas, I'm hungry." Rosalie walked away with him, while Alice struck up a conversation with a group of sisters' that were near us leaving Edward and I basically alone in our own bubble.

"Maybe they don't like us anymore," I teased with a shrug causing Edward to crack a smile. "I missed you today," I admittedly quietly and then regretted saying it almost immediately. That sounded cheesy and way too forward.

"I missed you too, Bella," he returned before I had a chance to mentally berate myself.

"I'm sorry, that sounded…" I trailed off trying to think of the right word.

"Honest," he supplied. "I prefer you honest, and I kind of like the idea of you missing me. I missed you too, we need to have movie nights more often."

"Do you know what they're going to play tonight?" I asked and pointed towards the screen.

"I'm not sure actually, but I don't know how much I'll be able to watch. We have half the pledge class with us tonight and I'll be watching them a lot tonight," he explained as I nodded.

"That kind of sucks, but I bet I'm being watched just as much," I admitted and pulled at my tank top nervously.

"You're doing fine; I'm going to go ask Emmett about the pizzas, they've been gone a little longer than expected. I'll find you in a few okay," he asked as I nodded knowing I needed to be social with more than just Edward.

I left his side and found Alice talking to Natalie and Julia.

"I see Bella has a new friend," Julia teased as her eyes trailed behind me. "You've probably broken the hearts of most of the sorority girl's on campus."

"Oh please." I brushed off as I sat down at their table.

"I'm not joking," she replied seriously. "More than a few girls have gone after one Edward Masen in my time here; you've gotten yourself quite a catch."

"We're just dating, it's new," I downplayed suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Don't worry Bella; no one will start a cat fight over him, at least not at our house. Stay away from the Delta Gamma girl's though, they have tried their hardest." Julia winked before leaving to refill her drink. I turned to Alice and Natalie a little shocked.

"Don't sweat it, B," Natalie tried to cheer me up and I did everything I could to change the subject.

I was happy that the rest of my night didn't focus around Edward and that the pizza finally showed up, though given the looks on Edward's and Emmett's faces, they didn't appear to be happy. Alice was excited when Jasper texted her that he was on her way and Stephanie announced that they'd be starting the new Snow White movie soon so we should find places to sit if we wanted to watch it.

I ran upstairs to use the bathroom really fast, but ran into Brad on my way back down. He had a huge smile plastered on his face, but I was a little uncomfortable around him. I wasn't sure what it was about him that I didn't like, but he creeped me out.

"Well, hello there, Beautiful Bella," he said as he walked up.

"Brad, right?" I asked, and I could tell I had offended him. I was sort of aiming for that.

"You wound me," he mocked offense, but I didn't really care as I looked behind him. Sadly, no one was near the stairwell down to the basement so I was momentarily stuck. "What's the hurry?"

"Oh, I just didn't want to miss the start of the movie," I answered though it was a lie. I had already seen the movie, but planned on watching it again tonight to hang out with everyone.

"Well, the other pledges and I aren't staying for the movie, but planned to head off campus to hang out for a bit," he explained, as I just nodded. "Maybe you want to come with some of the other pledges?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea," I replied while shaking my head. "In fact, it's kind of disrespectful to ask a Tri-Delta's pledge to leave a Tri-Delta's event to go hang out with pledges from our matched fraternity, don't you think?"

I hadn't realized my annoyance was showing or my elevated tone until I saw Edward coming up the stairs.

"Look, I didn't mean to offend you," he tried to backpedal, but I shook my head clearly annoyed.

"Well, you did," I started bluntly.

"Is he bothering you, Bella?" Edward asked from behind him and I watched Brad go rigid again.

"Yes," I answered honestly, I guess I could have lied, but I didn't want to. Not only because his question was disrespectful to the organization I cared about and not just because it made ASP look back, but more importantly, I cared about Edward and I wanted him to trust me, lying wasn't going to work out in my favor.

"Why don't we walk outside, Brad," Edward ordered and while it sounded like a question, I knew it wasn't. "Go enjoy the movie, Bella."

In a way, I felt dismissed as I walked back downstairs passing Emmett as I got back to the basement. Trailing him was the other ASP pledges in the house, though I didn't make eye contact with any of them.

"We saved you the recliner," Rosalie offered and pointed to my seat. I whispered a thank you before grabbing a bag of popcorn and a can of soda.

Even though I focused on the movie, it was half-heartedly. The room had been darkened and maybe half of everyone from earlier had stayed, but still the room felt a little emptier without Edward. I had no idea what he was going to do or say to Brad and even though I didn't want to think about it, I was. I loved that he was passionate about his fraternity, but being the President definitely had its pits.

We had finally come to the point of the movie where Snow White found herself with the Huntsman in the middle of the woods when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I peered up to see Edward staring down at me, and while I moved to stand up he shook his head no and quietly asked me to scoot over.

It took a minute as he sat down next to me on the recliner before I positioned myself curled around his chest, but once we stopped moving, it was rather comfortable. Neither one of us said anything for a while, though Edward had taken to rubbing my back with his spare hand. I'd never been with a guy who made me feel at peace as he did. His touch was like magic and while we were still in the getting to know each other phase and working all of those kinks out, I knew realistically Edward was the type of man I would end up falling for. In ways, that scared me, but it also excited me.

As the movie started to lull at the end I whispered up to Edward and asked if everything was okay. He hadn't really said a word to me since sitting down and naturally I was a little curious.

"He won't bother you anymore," Edward answered with another kiss to my forehead. I looked up to see his face and smiled before reaching up to peck his lips.

"Thank you," I returned.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. If he approaches you again, just let me know okay," he requested and I nodded.

"Okay," I accepted before focusing on the last bit of the movie.

**Have a great night :) My e-mails have been screwy lately so if you've asked a question and I haven't responded, I'm sorry, I've been reading all the reviews on the site. One second Yahoo Mail is fine and the next I'm getting errors, I really wish they'd figure it out! Anyhow, hope you enjoy this little bit, time will be flying very, very soon and a certain gentleman (*cough Jasper *cough) has some hazing in his future ;p That is going to be fun to write about!**


	21. Sidewalk

**Word Prompts**: Sidewalk

When I woke up Friday morning I was excited to start my day. Edward and I had made plans to grab lunch together since I was starting my first shift of 'Sober Sister' with Alice that night, and the ASP guys had an event planned with their pledges to try and help with bonding because, as Edward had explained to me, he didn't feel like most of them were initially bonding well with the core group of guys. I knew they were as picky as the Tri-Delta's house was known to be, but Edward assured me that all of the guys given bids seemed like they'd fit, and while a few had risen to the occasion, a couple others were already on their second warnings. Internally I cringed upon hearing that because I couldn't imagine getting one warning, let alone be on my second in the first few weeks of pledging. Of course, that didn't mean everyone took pledging as seriously as I did, but I really didn't understand why anyone would want to waste their time all semester just to be turned away at initiation. I knew de-pledging happened from time to time, but it had to be embarrassing especially if you're kicked out versus dropping because you had to for some reason.

I also knew Alice would be a bouncing ball of energy on duty tonight since Jasper's parents were arriving and she'd be meeting them the next day, leaving me on SS duty with Natalie for Saturday night. My plans were just to stay in my dorm and work on some school work to pass the time, than sleep in on Saturday, and do a movie night with Edward until I got called. The sister's didn't have an organized event, but any one of them could call me at any time of the night and it was my job to see that they got home safely. Thankfully, I had my own car so I didn't have to worry about borrowing one because that seemed more nerve wracking. While I had a clean driving history, anything could happen at any given time and I didn't want to be in someone else's car if I did.

As I stretched and gathered my things to take to the shower I looked up at my calendar and cringed a little when I saw the red circle around the date I went home. I really had no idea how my mom, specifically, was going to handle the whole pledging thing, but I really hoped she'd be reasonable. Of course, even if she wasn't, I wasn't backing away so she'd have to deal with it. It did make me wish she would have explained why she wanted me to stay away from sororities so badly, though no matter what her reasoning was I highly doubted it would have changed my mind. After being on the UW campus for a while now and having interacted with most of the Greek community, I could tell who fit the stereotype and who didn't. To me, the Tri-Delta house just sat above them all, though I didn't think any of them were snobby or pretentious. They had the best house, hands down, their bonds and friendships were strong with little to no real drama that I had seen or even heard of, and of course, as I began listing everything in my head I realized I was trying to justify my actions. I sighed and left my room resigned to writing down a list of why I wanted to join a sorority before heading home because I knew once my mother started I was going to lose my train of thoughts.

Edward had asked me where I wanted to go for lunch a few hours later and I just shrugged my shoulders telling him to pick wherever he wanted to go. So he did, and it was how I found myself at a Pub for lunch. It was pretty quiet and further away from the campus bar scene, which I liked. So far the staff was nice, but I preferred to focus most of my attention on Edward, or well, Edward's hand as he held mind lazily across the table.

"Please make sure you're careful driving tonight," Edward warned after we ordered an appetizer, and I did my best not to roll my eyes at him.

"I'll be fine, and I don't even know how much driving I'll really have to do," I replied and he nodded. "But, I'll have Alice with me so I'll be fun."

"I think the drunk pick-ups were the worst part of pledging for me," he recalled a story when a brother of his threw up in the back of his car, and I cringed at the thought of that happening in mine. "See, you thought about it and made a face."

"Well sure, I obviously don't want anyone to throw up in my backseat, but I figured it was an easy way to get a chunk of hours. Even if I'm not called, as long as I'm on-call, it counts so I'll be getting hours towards pledging while doing homework," I reasoned.

"That was one of the reasons I did it a lot, too," he agreed before asking me if I had talked to Alice yet.

"No, why?" I answered. The last time I had talked to her was last night on the sidewalk in front of our dorm, she was going in as I was going out to the library.

"When Jasper left to pick his parents up at the airport, Emmett and a few of the guys got to work," he explained before handing me his cell phone. The picture on the screen was obviously a bedroom, but every single item on one side was covered in pink or purple wrapping paper, including the bed, desk, dresser, and shoes?

"Are those shoes?" I asked, while Edward held in his laughter and nodded. "You wrapped his entire room?"

"Me? No, I only did a few things; it was mainly Emmett and his roommate, Greg, who did most of the work. Jasper didn't know when he'd be getting back to the house since he planned on getting his parents settled in, but I figured if you hadn't heard from Alice, he hasn't been back to see it yet," Edward went on.

"Exactly why did they do this?" I questioned because I didn't understand the prank.

"It's a tradition," he answered with a shrug. "Emmett caught sight of Alice's necklace at the pizza party and started planning something. I do think Jasper is getting off lucky though, Emmett faired a little worse with Rose. If you ask him to tell you the story, he'll swear we tried to drown him in a freezing cold lake."

"So you haze a guy because he gives a girl a lavalier?" Again, I was completely thrown by their actions, though I thought it was funny as hell and knew Alice would call me when she found out.

"Pretty much," he replied as I shook my head.

Our conversation moved onto other things but the story about Jasper stuck in the back of my head. I knew Jasper was probably expecting something since the tradition seemed so commonplace, but it also made me wonder if Edward had plans to give me one. Obviously, he'd expect a hazing if he did and it didn't sound dangerous so I wasn't too worried about that, but it did make me wonder if a lavalier to Edward was the equivalent to sex; another topic we hadn't talk about again. In truth, I wasn't sure how to bring it up and I didn't want him to think I was being pushy. Anyone with a pulse would find Edward attractive, so while I was no different, I had to admit his values were a bit refreshing. My experiences, or well, what I had done wasn't much to think about, but I did wonder why he had chosen to go the route he had. From what I knew of Edward in high school he didn't date much, if at all, so were his experiences from college only? Were the girl's that serious? I really didn't know when it was appropriate to talk about stuff like that, but my plans were to hint at it tomorrow night during movie night.

Before he dropped me off he gave me a soft kiss on my lips and a very warm hug. He also chuckled when I breathed two lung fills in of his cologne, but he really smelled that good.

"Remember," he reminded. "If you need anything tonight, just call me."

"You're worrying for nothing," I teased him with a smirk, but in the end did promise to call him if Alice or I ran into any trouble. It was sweet that he worried, and after the Brad incident at the party, I could tell it was his natural inclination to protect me so I didn't think much of it.

I ended up taking a nap for a few hours after lunch and only woke up to Alice knocking at my door. She had planned to use my room to do her homework since her roommate had asked for some privacy that night and neither one of us really wanted to know what that was going to entail. We both set our phones on our desks after receiving a text from Stephanie letting us know that we were 'on call' and to please keep our phones ready.

Alice and I talked for a little bit as we'd get bored with our assignments. I had asked if she talked to Jasper and she had, he was very excited to spend time with his folks since he wasn't local and didn't see them near as much as he wanted to. He ended up just staying at the hotel and not coming back, so I had to keep the wrapping papered room a secret which was hard. She asked me about Edward and our lunch, and I told her that I'd bring her to that Pub sometime because the burger was amazing.

Our first call came in just after eleven; two of the sister had ended up at a frat party on the far side of campus and needed a ride home. Since my car could fit us all, Alice and I both drove together to pick them up and drop them off at home.

The phones stayed silent after that for over an hour until our next call came in, followed by another. Alice and I took turns driving if there was a large amount of sister's to pick up, otherwise, we road together each time when we could. By the end of the night, I had figured we'd done five or six trips, until one final one came in right as the bars started to shut down.

At two-thirty when the call came in, I could tell Alice was dragging a little more than me and the call was for five sisters to be picked up at a local bar in town.

"Are you sure you want to go, it's my turn." Alice yawned, and I knew she'd go if I said so, but she was yawning every two seconds and two of us, plus five of them, was seven and my car could not fit seven, so even though it was her turn, she wasn't going to fit nor was she awake enough to drive. Even fitting six was going to be a challenge once I got there I feared.

"I'm sure, logistically it makes sense and I've been to that area before so I know where to go this time," I explained since Alice had been the GPS extraordinaire for every call we've taken together. "Besides, you look like you're about to crash and this will probably be the last call before we're off duty. Officially it ends at three."

"If you're sure," she gave in and I left my room with a wave.

If I could have gone back in time, I might have listened to Edward's warning about the roads being a little crazier in the middle of the night on a weekend in downtown. If I could have gone back in time, I wouldn't have taken the shortcut I knew about because it cut threw some of the downtown streets a little more than the main roads.

Really though, if I could have gone back in time I would have told everyone I loved that I loved them one last time, because that night, I never got to pick up the sisters who needed a ride. In fact, the last thing I remembered from that night was the brightest of lights and the sound of crushing metal. And then, nothing.

**Rule #1: No freaking, she is not dead. I wouldn't kill her because that would just be mean. **

**Comment #1: The next chapter will not be in Bella's POV.**

**Now my official note, I'm sorry this is later than what I was updating at before, but I had come to a crossroads with where I thought this story was going and where it was really going. In reality, a car accident was never in my initial thoughts, but it actually turns out better for the rest of the story if I do it this way, so excuse the clique car wreck I try to avoid. If there was any other way, I would have done it ;p Just think of this as a messier way to be non-messy in the future. **

**Also today is my daughter's 3rd birthday so I may or may not update later tonight, it really depends on how our day goes since it's all about Alice :) Yes, she was named after Alice Cullen, blame my husband ;p #truefact**

**And, for those who know about the recent weather, please keep the midwest in your thoughts as we experience more severe weather next week! **


	22. Struggle

**Word Prompt**: Struggle

"Come on, man," Emmett said from my side. "We'll figure this out, but it's not going to happen when we're this tired." He stood up from our round table while I continued to look down at our notepad from the night. I kept going over what each officer had to say and I knew the coming week was going to be a tough one.

"I know, I know," I replied with a brush off hoping he would leave me be. Our pledge group was becoming the most challenging one we've had in years, even after talking to some of the alumnus; they were at a loss for suggestions. As President, I felt like a failure because it was my job to uphold all of the standards for the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. Tonight we had tried a series of group bonding activities to bring the guys closer, but it seemed like no changes were made in the few we were hoping to reach out to. I knew the next step was one-on-one meetings, but I had high hopes tonight would help avoid that. It hadn't and I dreaded those meetings. It wasn't the first time I would have to sit in one, since Chase was our pledge officer he would lead them, but it was the first time we'd have more than one in a single pledge period. As it stood now, four out of the nine guys left were maybes and that was a tough pill to swallow because I questioned who we passed over as a result of letting them in.

"Edward," Emmett called from the door, "I'm not leaving you in here. Come on, you need sleep as much as I do."

I grumbled as I stood up, partly because I was still thinking, but also because my back screamed from the movement. I hadn't realized I'd be sitting in the same spot for over three hours and all of my muscles were stiff as hell. I lifted my arms over my head in an effort to stretch them, but it only made thm ache worse.

"Getting old over there, dude," Emmett joked as I bent down to stretch my back out hoping that would provide some relief.

"Shut up," I snapped clearly exhausted and past my limit of bullshit for the day, hell, the fucking week. I wasn't normally short, but tonight as pure hell.

"All I'm saying is that moves like that, aren't going to get you far with Books," he continued to goad me as I rolled my eyes. However, his mention of Bella, even by nickname, made me realize that I hadn't talked to her all night. I smiled at the thought of her hushing me over lunch as I worried above her driving tonight. I'd been a sober driver more than most and I knew how hellish the task could really be, though drunken girls were typically easier to handle than drunk guys. "You know," Emmett started to pull me out of my thoughts, "Every time I say her name, you get this goofy grin on your face."

"And?" I challenged as I looked him dead in the eye. The amount of stories I could pull out on him was like digging into an endless pile, so I knew he had absolutely no room to talk. The day Rosalie Hale walked into our high school about made him fall flat on his ass and I had front row seats to all of his blubbering, second guessing, and fumbles.

"Nothing, nothing." He held his hands up, "It's just nice to see you, I don't know, happy? She's good for you."

"That's what I thought," I answered before we turned down the hallway where both of our rooms were. The truth was, I was happy and Bella was a huge part of that. From the second I met her there was just something different about her and as I got to know her more and more, the feelings I had for her were only growing by leaps and bounds. Of course, I still couldn't believe what Rose had done, but we all moved past it and now it was hard to be away from her. Once I got to my room I planned on calling to see how her night went since she should be laying down soon. I planned on being over with dinner by five tomorrow so we could fit in a movie before she started getting called again, though I had some things I wanted to talk to her about first.

Emmett's cell phone started to go off so I passed by him for my room figuring it was Rosalie calling. When his hand shot out to my shoulder seconds later, I froze with my hand on my door handle. I blinked and wondered why he was following me.

"Rosalie, slow down," Emmett pleaded into his phone as I turned to look at him. "Okay, what hospital?" he asked next as I turned back to throw my door open and grab my car keys. I knew if Rosalie was hurt there was no way Emmett could be trusted to drive and get there in one piece, but his lack of hysteria was throwing me as I reached for my wallet and keys. When I looked up to see him standing in the doorway with a blank expression I didn't know how to react.

"Come on, I'll drive you," I said to try and break him from his trance. When he snatched my keys out of my hand I opened my mouth to say something, but he shook his head.

"I'm driving," he said and turned to leave without another word.

"What," I said to stop him, my voice booming through the hallway as a few guys popped out to see what was wrong. "No, I'm driving, if Rosalie is…" I tried to tell him as I took to the stairs two at a time.

"Edward, it's Bella," he informed me as we reached the bottom of the stairs. "There's been an accident and she's been taken to UW Medical, Rose has already called dad."

While my feet continued to move one foot in front of the other, my mind stood still as Emmett rushed me to my car and proceeded to drive me to the hospital. When he got the call I had assumed Rose, it never crossed my mind that she'd be calling about Bella. And, what about Alice, does Jasper know? Hell, does Bella's parent's know?

All I could think about on the way there was that I had too much to say to her for her to be hurt now. Rosalie didn't give Emmett many details which had my head spinning.

I barely gave him a chance to park before I was out of the car and running through the ER doors. In the waiting room I saw Rosalie, Stephanie, Alice, and a few other Tri-Delta girl's, but it was my uncle who I wanted to speak to.

"Edward," he warned as I came close. "You know I can only say…"

"Tell me," I forced out, as he glanced to Rosalie who shrugged.

"Bella is in surgery," he began. "She was hit by a drunk driver, she has a concussion and her leg was pinned under the steering wheel. She's in surgery to stabilize her leg so that she doesn't lose it. We've called her parents and they're on their way. That is all I know, Edward."

"She'll live though," I barely chocked out before tears fell from my eyes.

"Yes, she'll live. Her head injury will take time, but we honestly won't know the scope of it until she's awake. Her surgery shouldn't be too much longer and I'll continually check on her. I was just getting ready to head home when Rose called, your aunt is on her way in," he informed me and as I nodded. "Edward, we'll take very good care of her here. You'll hate me for this, but you just need to wait. Once her parents get here…"

"They're going to kill her," I blurted out as a wave of unease hit me. Bella hadn't told them about the sorority yet, hell, I was pretty sure they didn't even know about me. I had barely begun hinting to my own mother that I had met someone, and now that my aunt was coming so that secret was bound to come out.

"Excuse me?" My uncle reacted probably taking me literal.

"She wasn't supposed to join a sorority, they don't know," I explained as I looked towards the girl's sitting in the lobby, "There's no way to hide it now."

"Well, we'll help them cross that bridge when it comes. From my understanding her father is driving them up with sirens on and I spoke to them about fifteen minutes ago, so it'll be sooner rather than later. Perhaps you can act as a buffer for now?" he suggested, and I nodded. I'd try, though I wasn't sure how they were going to take to me.

"I'm going to go check on her, get yourself some coffee or stop by the hospital's chapel, I'm sure Bella would appreciate your prayer's," he remarked before hugging me and walking off. I looked over at Emmett and shook my head before finding a seat. With my elbows on my knees I just let my head fall into my hands.

"Come on, man" Emmett instructed as he patted my shoulder. "Dad said it could be a little while and we could probably both use some caffeine."

"I'm sorry, Edward," Rosalie said from my side though I hadn't looked up yet. "I knew Emmett would get you here." She was probably apologizing for not calling me, but she did the right thing. I couldn't be trusted behind a wheel right now, though I did take a chance to look up and check Alice. She obviously wasn't with Bella at the time of the accident, but her cheeks were tear stained. Stephanie was at her side and saying something, but I was too far away to hear them.

"Come on, Edward, let's go get some coffee," Emmett pushed again and I sighed as I stood up. "Rose do you need anything?" he asked but she shook her head.

I was happy to see the cafeteria so dead, because I wasn't really in the mood to deal with people. Emmett hadn't attempted to get me to talk and I was appreciative of that as I racked my brain for how to deal with Bella's parents. Did I just introduce myself? Did I tell them about the sorority stuff so they could have their meltdown over by the time she came to? Would they be reasonable?

On our way back to the waiting area I decided to take my uncle's advice and pop into the chapel. I told Emmett to go ahead of me because I needed a minute alone and I was thankful he didn't push.

I walked to the front and took a seat. A million thoughts were racing in my head, but I think the scariest was the fact that I could have lost her. I had just met her and she could have been gone, just like that. The feeling made me incredibly uneasy and I knew Bella wasn't just going to be a girl from college. I was trying so hard not to rush things with her because of how important she was, but now I wondered if that was such a great approach.

My aunt interrupted my internal musings by coming to sit next to me and putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Your mom had thought you met somebody," she said. "Have you called your parents, yet?"

"No, I don't even know what I'd tell them, they don't know Bella yet and until she's out of surgery I don't have much to report," I answered. "I'm waiting on Bella's parents to get here."

"Have you met them before?" she asked and I shook my head no. "Well, I'll be here with you." She paused. "It'll all work out the way it's supposed to, Edward."

"I know," I replied. "I just…" And then I lost it. Between the stress of the bonding night, being worried about Bella being a sober sister, and then finding out she was pinned inside her car, I just couldn't take it. I put my head back in my hands and just cried. My aunt rubbed my back, but I almost didn't feel it through the fabric of my sweatshirt.

I wasn't even sure how long we sat there before my aunt's phone went off and she was telling me my uncle had more news. I mindlessly followed behind her until we got to the waiting area where my uncle was already talking to Emmett and Alice.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She's out of surgery and they're moving her from recovery to a room now," he explained. "She's awake and she'll need to rest soon, but she's asking for you. I did speak to her parents and they're about forty-five minutes outside of Seattle. So, if you want, I'll take you to her room, but for now, she's going to have a visitor limit. Alice, you can come to."

"Yes," I said as Alice nodded. "Are you okay?" I asked her on the way to the elevator, but she shook her head.

"It should have been me," she choked out. "It was my turn, but she told me she'd go because I was tired."

"Alice you couldn't have known," I tried to calm her, though internally I was starting to feel anger knowing that Bella shouldn't have even been driving. However, it would not do any of us any favors to lash out at Alice; she didn't know this was going to happen.

A few nurses stopped and stared as my uncle brought us to Bella's room. Someone was speaking to her when we walked in, but Bella wasn't answering, instead she just stared and nodded.

"Bella," my uncle called out to her and she turned her head. "I've brought some people to see you."

"Hi," she whispered though it was hoarse. I could tell the last of the anesthesia was slowly wearing off.

Alice immediately started crying and ran straight up to give her a hug. She was apologizing for her being in the car, but it all seemed to go over Bella's head. Or, at least, she wasn't really acknowledging her apology.

"Alice," my uncle called out in warning knowing that she needed to tone it down a few notches.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she apologized again. "Now that I've seen you, I'm going to go pack you a bag, okay. I'll use the spare key."

"Okay," Bella answered her. "Thank you."

As Alice rushed past my uncle clearly too emotional still I stepped forward. "Hey, sweetheart," I said cautiously not sure how much she remembered.

"I'm sorry," she apologized as my eyebrows knit in confusion. "I should have been more careful."

"Oh, no, no, no," I hushed her. "You didn't make an idiot run a red light, Bella. You have nothing to be sorry for." I reached below to lower the rail on her bed before putting my hand down to feel above the blanket to ensure I wouldn't actually bump her.

"It's okay," she pushed. "It's my other leg." She pointed to her right leg.

"Is this okay?" I asked, and she nodded. Her face had a few scratches and a butterfly bandage closed a cut at the top of her scalp. A few bruises were starting to show, but still, she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I tentatively reached up to touch her cheek since it didn't appear to have any injuries and she moved her head to sit in my hands. "I was so worried when we got the call."

"I was scared I wasn't going to see you again," she whispered and I could see in her eyes that the weight of this accident was starting to hit her.

"I'm here now," I whispered back. "And you'll be just fine, back to normal in no time."

"They said I have a minor concussion and I'll need another surgery on my leg tomorrow to add a rod in my ankle. I'll be in a cast for a while," her tone was sad. "Getting to my room is going to suck."

"We'll find another arrangement for you," I immediately informed her. "We can petition for a first floor room and you'll have enough help that you won't have to lift a finger. You'll just point and we'll set it up to look the same, I promise. Don't worry at all about your room."

"Thank you," she replied before sighing.

"Your uncle told me he called my parents," she started and I nodded. "They still don't know."

"It's okay, I'll be here with you, I won't leave your side if you don't want me too," I informed her and she sighed again.

When she raised her hand to touch her head I asked her if it hurt, but she told me it didn't. They had her on a pretty liberal amount of pain killers which is why it surprised me to see her so awake. I had touched on concussions in class, of course, but she didn't seem to show the classic signs of one. Of course, she could fall asleep, wake up, and not have any recollection of our conversation in which case, she'd be a lot worse off.

"Just try not to worry about anything for now, okay," I reminded her again. "We'll figure everything out one step at a time."

She nodded her head and I could almost see her wanting to say something else, so I asked her what she was thinking.

"When I saw the lights coming at me, the only thing that I could think about was that I should have told the people I cared about that I loved them an extra time. Your uncle asked me how much I remembered," she explained as she touched her head again. "And, I remember it all up until I blacked out. They said I lost a lot of blood, but the firefighter was cutting my car off of me when I fell asleep. So, while this is absolutely ridiculous and you'll probably think I'm delirious since I have this concussion I just wanted to tell you that I loved you. I've never told you that before, but I do."

After Bella stopped talking she looked down and I couldn't tell if it was from fear or embarrassment, but either way, she didn't need to worry about either because I had the same thoughts running through my head.

"I love you too," I replied and she looked up surprised. "I'm not saying it just because or because you're hurt, but I was panicking when we found out because I didn't know if you knew how much you meant to me. I love you, Bella."

I leaned down and gave her a soft kiss before pulling back. I wasn't sure how much more Bella could handle and her eyes looked like they were starting to get heavy. I also wondered how much she'd remember when she woke up.

"Get some sleep, sweetheart," I whispered as her eyes closed. "You need your rest." I pulled an extra blanket off the cabinet and draped it over her body. The room was a bit chilly and I didn't want her to be cold. When a nurse came in a few minutes later to change an IV bag she asked me how long she had been asleep and I told her just recently.

"She'll probably sleep for a while, if you need to step out now would be a good time," she suggested, but I shook my head.

"I'll just lie down on the chair over there," I said and she nodded before leaving the room, only for Emmett to walk in right after her.

"Hey," he whispered. "Dad told me to come up. Rosalie and Stephanie took Alice back to campus to pack for Bella, everyone has cleared the area. I called up to the house so they know where we are and Greg told me to tell you to call him if you need anything. I figured I'd hang out until her parents came in, in case you needed a bodyguard."

I looked at him with an odd expression.

"You forget, I've met them," he reminded me as I nodded.

"You know before they left they told Bella not to date any frat boys," I responded as he chuckled.

"Now, that doesn't surprise me. The dad is personable though, mom is a bit hard," he informed me.

When the door opened up ten minutes later, I realized it was my uncle with, who I had assumed were, Bella's parents. Her mom had tears down her eyes and her dad's face was very stoic as he listened to my uncle talk.

I stood up next to Emmett and waited for them to even acknowledge us, but her mom was so focused on her and her dad was listening to what my uncle was saying that we were easily ignored.

"Oh baby," her mom cooed over her sleeping body as she fretted.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen," her dad said within our earshot.

"You're very welcome, Bella is a few special patient for us," my uncle said as he motioned to me and my cousin.

"Sir," Emmett approached him first. "We met the day Bella moved into her dorm."

Recognition hit his face, "Yes, I remember you, and your friend Jasper, it's Emmett right?"

"Yes, and this is my cousin, Edward," Emmett introduced me as I raised my hand to his.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked and I could see Bella's mom attention focus over to us. Of course, the moment I'd be meet her parents I'd be wearing an ASP hoodie.

"I'm Bella's boyfriend," I spoke up as her mother's eyes went wide.

"Bella doesn't have a boyfriend," she snapped in a very harsh tone. "I've never heard about you."

"I know she's never spoken about me before," I said to let them know I was aware of her choice to keep us a secret, at least, until she went home. "She planned on telling you when she drove home in two weeks. Bella had a lot to tell you then."

"You think you know Bella better than us?" her father asked and I realized this conversation was already not going in our favor.

"Not at all," I replied honestly. "Just that I knew she had a lot of news that she was waiting to share since she didn't want to tell you over the phone."

"She's not pregnant is she?" her mother asked, and I shook my head no.

"No ma'am," I immediately replied knowing that that possibility was impossible.

"Well, then what else was she waiting to tell us that was so important?" she questioned, and I watched Emmett shift from my side.

"Perhaps we should go outside for this discussion?" My uncle stepped in to suggest. "There is a family room I can bring you all to, right now, Bella needs quiet so she can rest."

His suggestion was more like a demand, but regardless we walked out of the room and into a room a few doors down. There was some couches, a few vending machines, and a TV, but no one else was actually in it.

"What is your name?" her father asked me once the door shut.

"I'm Edward Masen, sir," I replied and he nodded.

"Okay, Edward, what was so important Bella had to wait to tell us. I really don't have a lot of patience for all of this, and I just want to know what we should be prepared for," he explained as I nodded.

"Well, Bella had decided to pledge a sorority," I said calmly and then waited for the fireworks.

**I've been begged for an EPOV so I figured why not. My birthday girl is sleeping and my eldest is out with daddy for a bit so I'll be writing. Hope you like it :)**


	23. Snag

**Word Prompt**: Snag

Bella had warned me that her parents hated sororities. In fact, she was so honest I expected a huge blow up, but nothing she said could have actually prepared me for what her mother did next.

First, the color in her face started to drain while her father stood behind her and seemed to prepare himself for what was going to happen.

And, then, she screamed. I heard everything from sororities were the devil itself to she was packing Bella up and moving her home to she was cutting off her bank account and then, she turned on me. Completely ignoring Emmett and my Uncle as they tried to calm her, hell, her own husband was trying to calm her down to absolutely no avail. I stood as calmly as I could as I started reciting every vital organ, the muscular system, andall of the vessels and arteries in my head to keep my focus elsewhere. My A&P professor would have been so proud, but it kept me occupied as I was then compared to the devil itself.

When Renee, as I already knew what her name, finally calmed down or rain out of air, I wasn't quite sure, I politely asked if she was done.

"No, I'm not done," she attacked as I shook my head and huffed. "Don't you dare patronize me boy."

"Okay, first, I'm hardly a boy," I corrected and while I was forceful, I was always nice. I think it was my mother in me; able to tear down someone without them even realizing I was doing it until I was done. "And second, I understand you're upset since Bella was very honest about your feelings. However, you will have to calm yourself down or you'll be barred from seeing her, and neither one of us want that. Finally, if you truly believe that I forced your daughter to pledge a sorority, then you assume your daughter is half the person that she is. She is strong and independent, with the ability to make her own decisions without someone pressuring her to do what they want of her, and, for the record, I was introduced to Bella during rush week."

With that I glanced at my uncle who had stood by to watch the whole exchange and shrugged, then turned and walked away. Renee hadn't said another word, but I did hear Emmett's voice as the family room door shut. She had been going off for hours already, and the only person I wanted to see was soon to be waking up. Or, so I thought.

I smiled at the nurse as I peeked back into Bella's room, only to hear Alice and Rosalie talking to her,

"I'm sure he's fine, Bella," Rosalie calmed her. "Edward is a big boy, he can handle his own."

"She's right, I'm sure they'll all be in here soon," Alice chimed in after her.

I knocked on the door for effect mainly and I heard Rosalie tell me to come in. When I peered around the corner, Bella was sitting up a little more than she was earlier and Alice was brushing her hair. It looked wet, like she'd just had a shower, and with the basin on the sliding tray I assumed they had helped her wash the blood out of it.

"Hey you," I said as I rounded the curtain. She smiled at me and looked down. "I survived."

I looked over at Rosalie and then nodded at the door and she immediately took my hint. Bella's hospital room looked almost nothing like it did when I left it earlier. Alice had brought her blanket and pillow, several pictures frames, and a line of balloons, stuffed animals, and flowers had already started being delivered.

"Your parents are in the family room," I told her as I took the brush from Alice on her way out. I adjusted myself so that my weight didn't hurt her as I sat next to her and started to finish her hair from where Alice had left off.

"You don't have to," she tried to say as her hand came off for the brush, but I pulled it back.

"It's okay, I want to," I whispered before placing another kiss on her lips. "I happen to like taking care of you."

She stared blankly at me and I wondered how much of our earlier conversation she still remembered.

"Just say thank you," I teased with a wink. "Your hair is almost done and I think I can manage to put it up if you want me to." She nodded her head and didn't say another word for a few minutes.

When her hair was finally put up into a straight ponytail she said thank you and I kissed her again. Her blush crept up to her cheeks, but I tried not to call attention to it.

"Are you hungry?" I asked when I spotted the uneaten tray over by the sink.

"Yeah, but I'm not eating that," she said with a cringe. "The nurse said she was going to try and bring me up a salad from the cafeteria in a little bit."

"Did they say if you were on a normal or adjusted diet?" I asked and she said regular, so I pulled out my phone and texted Greg with a favor. He replied back within five minutes saying okay.

"Your parents sent me a really beautiful bouquet of flowers." Bella pointed to the corner where a large floral bouquet sat. A 'get well soon' balloon stuck out from the top. "Rosalie was reading me the cards before you came in. I don't know how to thank them for it."

"Here, I'll text my mom really fast." I pulled out my phone and texted her to say thank you and that Bella really appreciate them. My mom texted back almost instantly that her and my father wanted to know when they could meet her and she was happy to know she liked the flowers. My aunt had called her with the room number.

I handed my phone over to Bella so she could see the reply and she quirked her lip to the side. "Can they come sometimes after tomorrow? I'm starting to get tired again." She yawned as I brushed my fingers over her cheek.

"Of course, I'll keep them at bay as long as you need me to," I replied almost immediately. "My parents won't rush the hospital, maybe we'll set up a dinner once you're out of here and feeling up to it. There is really no rush."

"Okay," she replied and turned her head to look towards the window. The sun was shining for the first time in a week and I knew she was regretting where she was. "They said my surgery should happen around eight in the morning and if all goes okay I'll be out of here around Wednesday or Thursday. Alice brought me my laptop so I can e-mail my professors to let them know that I won't be in class."

"Is there anything I can do to help? Have they talked to you about the side effects of concussions?" I questioned as I sat back down next to her.

"They said I could get really light headed out of nowhere, I'd probably be pretty forgetful for a while, and maybe feel sick, but I haven't gotten dizzy and I've yet to forget anything," she answered like it was nothing.

"You haven't forgotten anything at all?" I asked again, and she shook her head.

"Not that I can think of," she answered and looked down again. "I remember seeing you after I got out of recovery, I remember Alice but she was too hyper for me, and I've talked to your uncle a lot. When I woke up, your aunt was in here delivering stuff, and then Alice and Rose showed up and they helped wash my hair," she explained everything from her hospital experience so far.

"So you remember our conversation?" I clarified and she nodded lightly. "Good, I was scared you wouldn't."

"That would be depressing." She giggled for a second and I had to admit, it was the nicest sound I could hear out of her. "I'm rather glad I remember that conversation, saying you love someone is kind of important."

I laughed for a second because her comment was so Bella. She was never one to say what I thought she would and car accident or not, she was still Bella. Still my Bella.

"You're right, it is very important," I agreed and went to kiss her, but this time she held my face with her hand and kissed me back. "Hmmmm, I love you."

"I love you," she whispered with a smile on her face.

Without warning I heard a cough from behind us. Confused since I hadn't heard anything come in, I turned and saw Bella's dad standing behind the curtain and I had no clue how long he had been there. Her mom didn't look like she was in the room yet, and I had hoping my uncle had talked some sense into her. Whatever her story was, it ran deep.

I stood up and moved to the other side of Bella's bed so her dad could see her.

"Hey Daddy," she called out hesitantly as she walked over. "I'm sorry about the car, I'm pretty sure it's totaled."

"Bella, we'll get you a new car," he answered like her comment had just caught her off guard. "The doctors said it could be a while before you can drive again with your leg."

"Yeah, they said probably around Thanksgiving, worst case is like Christmas," she answered.

"When I got that call Bells." He stopped to shake his head and I could see him choking up. "Well, you had us worried, but I'm glad you're okay. I love you, Bells."

She smiled and gave him a hug. "Is mom mad?" she asked.

"Oh Bella Marie, mad isn't quite the word. You know your mother though, she'll come to in her own time," he answered her as she nodded. "You really planned to tell us when you got home?" She nodded her head yes. "Then I guess I won't stay too mad at you hiding it, though the next time you try and keep a secret don't use your bank account. Just be happy I opened that bank statement and not your mother."

"I'm sorry," she tried to apologize, but he just shushed her.

"Doesn't matter now, what's done is done. You're happy with it all, right? Nothing dangerous or that hazing stuff they talk about in the news?" he questioned and I tried so hard not to laugh. He looked at me pointedly when I failed, but I couldn't help it.

"No, Daddy, the girls are really nice. They're like the sisters I've never had before," she responded.

"Well then, we'll just have to wait on your mom. She wanted to come in, but she's a little concerned she's going to yell and she doesn't want to so she went down to get a coffee. She'll be back up soon, I'm sure," he relayed just as a knock sounded on the door.

"I'll get it," I offered and walked over to open the door. Greg, Andrew, and Jacob were all standing behind it with an army's worth of food and drinks. "Did you buy out the place?"

"Can we come in?" Greg asked and I nodded. "You didn't tell us what she likes to eat, so we got a lot of everything. Besides, we figured you were hungry and her parents are here," he rambled before spotting Charlie next to Bella. "Hello sir, hello Bella, we're really sorry about your accident and Edward said you were hungry," he explained as he passed the drink carriers over to Jacob, "So we came with a lot of everything, and if you need anything else before this guy busts you outta here, just let us know."

"Thank you," Bella stuttered in shock as Charlie just looked over at the guys unloading tack out contain after tack out contain of food on the counter.

"Oh, and these," Jacob started to say as he slide a backpack off his back, "Are for you from the Alpha Sigma Phi house."

When Jacob opened up the backpack, I could see a vase waiting to be filled with water, a small thing of store bought flowers, and one of the ASP throws we had recently sold in a fundraiser. After he pulled the blanket out, he passed it off to me to give it to her before arranging the flowers like any other college guy would.

"Sorry it's not much, we were on a time crunch," he apologized as Bella lost it. All of the guys jumped a little as the tears flowed down her cheeks, but they said goodbye quickly as I showed them out. When I pulled my wallet out to pay Greg back he told me not to worry about it and that they had taken up a collection before leaving, so it was from all of them. I thanked them and explained that Bella was just overwhelmed, which they understood and left quietly.

"Those are your friends?" Charlie asked Bella as she quieted down. "Pretty good friends."

"I only knew two of them, those were Edward's brothers," she explained through her tears as I walked back in.

"Well, pretty good friends, nonetheless."

"Are you still hungry?" I asked and she nodded so I walked over to the counter and started to make her a plate. I was happy they had thought to bring paper plates and utensils.

I emptied the basin from her sliding tray and set it aside, before rolling the plate of food over to Bella and setting it all up. She asked for some water so I filled that up to. Charlie hadn't said anything else, but just continued to look on before excusing himself to go find her mother when Emmett popped in to say she was downstairs talking to Alice and that he was going to head home with Rose. Jasper had shown up so he could get Alice home later.

"Well," I started to say as I took a seat next to her to share the tray. "I did promise you dinner tonight."

"This wasn't how I imagined it," Bella commented between bites. She hadn't eaten near as much as she normally did, and I noticed her eyes getting droopier.

"Are you ready to sleep yet?" She nodded her head and reached for the ASP throw that had been brought for her.

"I hate how cold hospitals are," she noted as she pulled on the hospital gown at her neck.

"Here," I said and reached back to pull off my sweatshirt. Bella's IV wasn't currently hooked up to a machine, so I helped her put get my sweatshirt on without snagging anything when her arms went through. The sweatshirt was huge on her and fit closer to a dress, but she smiled a little brighter with it on. "There you go."

"Thank you," she whispered and looked down at the letters on her chest. "I asked about clothes and they said tomorrow after surgery. I hate hospital gowns."

"Well, you can keep this as long as you need it," I told her and kissed her forehead.

She hummed but was pretty much out by the time I spoke again.

"Get some rest, Bella," I soothed her as I pushed the tray away and arranged the blankets on top of her. "I'll be here when you wake up."

**Alice had a good birthday, but took a seven hour nap so I'll be up writing while she's wide awake. One more EPOV chapter and then it's back to Bella. **


	24. Tumble

**Word Prompt**: Tumble

"How long has she been asleep?" Renee asked me when she walked into Bella's room. I had kept myself busy playing with my phone and texting with my parents. My mom seemed seamed excited to meet Bella and my dad told me that I shouldn't have hid her. Go figure.

"Um." I looked up at the clock. "About three hours," I replied and she nodded. "She seemed more tired this time than she did before you got here so I'm not sure how long she'll sleep."

"When do you plan on leaving?" she questioned, and I shrugged.

"I told her I'd be here when she woke up, but I imagine the nurses will kick me out sometimes tonight. I won't be staying overnight, they won't let me," I answered knowing that I'd be back first thing in the morning.

"Your uncle seems to have a lot of weight around here," she noted and I nodded. "He's nice though."

When she came to sit down on the chair next to me I wasn't sure how to react. She was acting too human this time and it was throwing me off balance a little bit.

"Charlie told me your brothers showed up with a buffet earlier, but I hadn't really taken him seriously." She was eyeing the side counter with widened eyes. "That was very nice of them. Does Bella know them well?'

"Not really," I answered. "Our houses are typically paired up, but we've only had one official event together since Bella started pledging."

"I see." Her words just hung as I waited for a real reaction.

"Bella's always been a listener. Ever since she was a baby you could just tell her something and she did it or well, didn't do it, she was never rebellious. I hadn't really expected her not to listen this time," Renee spoke but it almost didn't seem like she was talking to me.

"Why do you hate Greek life so much?" I asked bluntly because I wasn't sure hinting was going to get me anywhere with her.

"Back when I was in college, I had decided to join a sorority. I really didn't have the time for it between working several jobs, but somehow I had made do. I found a house that I had really liked, all of the girls seemed open, but there was just something that always struck me as off. I tried my best to ignore the warning signs because I wanted a place to belong while I was in school. I didn't grow up with much," she told me. "Anyhow, I had gone all the way up to initiation and seemed to be on the right track until the winter formal came up. Back in my day, pledges were allowed at those, I'm not sure about now, but the guy I wanted to go with wasn't house approved. I was annoyed since he was a close friend of mine I had met in one of my classes, but I went with the frat boy they had picked out for me."

While Renee spoke I had a feeling I knew where this story was going. Greek Life had changed in some ways over the years and a lot of what was acceptable before no longer flew now. We had far more rules and regulations than previous generations ever had and the punishments that followed were incredibly more severe.

I realized Renee had paused when I looked over at her. I could see her weighing what she wanted to say and I didn't want to push her any more than she already had been.

"As I was saying, I agreed to go with the frat boy and things went wrong. He didn't get far and I ended up leaving early. When I got back to the house two days later I was called in for a meeting and reprimanded by the President for basically not giving in. I had sat shocked through the entire ordeal as I was read the riot act for giving the sorority a bad name. I walked away and never looked back, and never went through initiation. I want more for my daughter than that, is what I'm trying to say," she explained and I sighed.

"I'm very sorry that your experience was that awful, but I can assure you in this day and age an event like that wouldn't end the same way. I don't know if you know this, but I am the President of my fraternity and if one of my brothers ever pulled the same stunt they would be looking at a full removal," I informed her as she nodded.

"Yeah, Bella's friend Alice was trying to explain it to me downstairs, but I guess you could say I still hold a grudge," she told me.

"I can understand that. What house if you don't mind me asking?"

"Delta Gamma," she answered and I snorted. I hated that house, hell, I hated most of the girl's in that house. "They haven't gotten much better?"

"They're not my favorite group of people," I answered honestly. "But, the house Bella has chosen to pledge with, the Tri-Delta's, they are different. I'm not saying there is never drama and I'm not saying they're perfect, but I happen to be close with most of their officers and that same scenario would never happen. Bella is safe there and if she ever felt like she wasn't, I know she'd walk away."

"We'll see," she muttered. "I am sorry for yelling at you."

"Better me than her," I replied as Renee's head snapped to me.

"You really care about my daughter don't you?"

"Of course I do," I replied. "I love your daughter; I can take being yelled at if it means she's spared from it."

"I see, so you've been together since school started?"

"No, we met pretty early, but only started dating more recently," I answered.

"How much longer do you have at school?"

"Well, I'm a senior now, but next fall I start medical school," I explained and her eyes went wide.

"Exactly how old are you, Edward?"

"I am twenty-one, I'll be twenty-two next summer," I answered as she nodded thoughtfully.

"I guess that isn't so bad, will your school be here?"

"My hope is to get accepted here," I replied optimistically. The truth was, I actually had no intention of applying locally because of my uncle. I had planned on going out east to separate myself, but then I met Bella and knew there was no way I could expect her to relocate and the idea of a long-distance relationship was very unappealing. I'd just have to make sure no one put the Masen and Cullen names together.

Renee and I sat quietly for a while longer without talking. I focused on answering my text messages until Bella started to stir again. I didn't bother to stand up since Renee was at her side faster and I didn't want to hover.

"Mom," I heard Bella say with sleep heavy in her voice. "I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't matter now, baby," Renee replied and I was relieved to see her change of heart. Maybe it was a front and she didn't want Bella to see her real feelings or maybe she was seeing that the errors of the past didn't have to dictate the future; either way, Bella would feel better if she felt supported. "All that matters is that you're okay now. I already talk to the insurance company and you can pick out your new car whenever you're ready."

"Thanks," she replied a little more awake this time. "Mom, can you go outside and get a nurse?'

"Of course, baby. Are you in pain?" she asked, but Bella shook her head. I had been looking up at her since she woke up and when she looked down; I stood up to walk to her side. Her blush was starting to rise up from her neck to her cheeks, and I could tell she was attempting to hide something from me.

"Are you okay?" I asked a little concerned.

"When the nurse comes back in, do you mind stepping out for a few minutes," she asked quietly, still not looking at me.

"Sure," I replied automatically. I was starting to put the pieces together, but didn't think Bella would appreciate me asking her directly. "I'll run downstairs and grab some food. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, can you put together a salad and grab a bottle of Gatorade?" I told her I'd be back soon and gave her a quick kiss.

Renee walked in two minutes later and I passed her on my way out. She gave me a weird look, but given the embarrassment look on Bella's face when she asked me to leave made me realize she probably needed help going to the bathroom with her leg wrapped the way it was. I knew I hadn't gone through medical school yet, but I had noticed she didn't have a catheter bag on her bed.

As I passed by the nurse's station I noticed my uncle talking to someone, but smiled at me and motioned for me to come over to him.

"Hey, I was just going to check on Bella," he informed me as the nurse walked over.

"She's in there with her mom and a nurse, they're helping her in the bathroom," I explained. "I'm on my way to the cafeteria."

"Well then, I'll walk with you and check on her once they're done. We wouldn't want family dinner's to be awkward," he joked as we headed for the elevator.

"For you?" I asked.

"No, for her," he answered as I nodded. He had a point; Bella would probably never look at him in the eye again.

"Have you gone home yet?" I knew my uncle was on his way out when Rose had called and it was now close to dinner the next day. He didn't look tired, but I knew he had years of practice. Me, on the other hand, was running on fumes.

"I went home to change and take a shower, you aunt made a big lunch, but I'm back for the night," he explained and I nodded.

"I appreciate you staying here, for helping with Bella," I thanked him.

"If she's important to you, then she's important to me. Esme talked to her for a little while and is already in love with her. When she's up for it, she wanted me to invite you two over for dinner." I had assumed that was coming, and to be honest I was more excited about my aunt and uncle meeting her than my own parents. Well, my mom probably wouldn't scare her off, but my dad may try.

"I'll keep that in mind, though I wished she hadn't called my mom. My parents didn't know about her just yet." In truth, I wasn't hiding her; I just wasn't flaunting her either.

"I'm sorry," he apologized though I knew it wasn't really his fault.

When we got down to the cafeteria, I decided to get enough food for Bella, her parents, and me. I didn't really know what Renee or Charlie would eat, but I hoped that the thought counted. At this point, I needed all the brownie points I could earn.

"Have you started filling out your applications yet?" my uncle asked as we walked through the line. I wanted to make sure I had a bit of everything and grabbed a few extra bottles of Gatorade for Bella's room.

"I have a stack sitting on my desk in my room," I answered though I dreaded filling them all out. It was like college applications all over again.

"Do any include locations on this coast?" My uncle hadn't been thrilled when I talked about going out east. I knew my dad probably wouldn't care, but my uncle did, and it was hard to explain that he was the reason I was looking so far.

"They do, I was hoping to get accepted here." The cashier told me how much the food and drinks were going to cost as I fished out my wallet. She was nice enough to bag it all up for me while I counted the bills out.

My uncle didn't say another word, until we got to the elevator. "Is it because of Bella?"

"Yes," I answered and he nodded his head thoughtfully.

"You're incredibly serious for just meeting her," he noted and I knew he had given Emmett the same speech when he came home telling everyone he had met his wife at the age of fifteen. Of course, he had the last laugh. "Don't get me wrong, but she is young."

"She's nineteen," I interjected, "Which is older than fifteen when your son met Rose."

"I do remember, I just don't want you to get into school here and have to transfer if your relationship ends."

While I knew he was just trying to stay reasonable and while I knew he was speaking to me more like a father than an uncle, the thought of not being with Bella stung…a lot. I had thought a lot about coming here for medical school before I picked up the application, and I knew my motivations were probably not the most honest, but at least I was prepared to give us a shot. Bella planned on getting her master's which lined up with my timeframe of finally practicing. Unlike my uncle, a hospital job was not in my future. I wanted to go into a practice where life was a little more normal, though I knew being a resident was going to be rough. Uncle Carlisle was more than honest with me about the sleepless days and nights, the constant feeling of being on-call, and learning how to think on my feet no matter how little sleep I'd gotten.

"I'm confident in my decision," I stated after the elevator dinged at Bella's floor.

"I don't doubt that, Edward. I just needed to say it," he told me and I nodded.

My uncle knocked on the door since my hands were full and Bella's voice called for us to come in. I noticed her dad had finally made it upstairs again and I noticed all eyes were on me as I walked over to her counter and started cleaning up the lunch trays.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" my uncle asked and Bella started talking to him. I walked over to grab her water jug and went back to the sink to dump it out. I had nearly filled it up with Gatorade when I noticed Renee at my side.

"I wasn't sure what you or Bella's dads eat, so I grabbed burgers and fries," I explained as I moved to debagging all of the take out trays.

When I reached for Bella's salad, I realized her mom hadn't said a word to me so I looked up to see her looking at me with an odd expression. I didn't dare ask her what she was thinking and I waited until Bella was done talking to my uncle before I pushed the tray over to her with her salad and drink.

"Thank you," she said and beamed up at me.

"Are you hungry?" I asked and looked over at Charlie. "I wasn't sure so I got some burgers and fries." His eyes lit up and his mouth smirked before standing up.

"Daddy," Bella called out and he looked towards her. "You know what your doctor said."

"What? He bought it for me, it's not a good thing to waste perfectly good food, Bella," Charlie excused before walking to the counter. Bella rolled her eyes, but continued to eat her salad without another word.

We all said goodbye to my uncle who informed Bella he'd see her again before surgery and reminded her no more food or drinks after midnight. She nodded and told him she knew better. He also reminded us that visiting hours would be over in a little over an hour and asked where Renee and Charlie would be staying. They informed us that they booked a hotel room only a few blocks from the hospital and would be staying until at least Bella's release.

"If you have to go home earlier, I understand," Bella tried explaining to her parents once she was done with her salad, but they both hushed her.

"Your father doesn't take enough time off anyway," her mom seemed to remind her. "Just think of this as a vacation for us. I called my secretary before we left and cleared my schedule for the week."

"Well, thank you," she replied with a sigh. I had a feeling Bella was growing tired of all the attention, so instead of trying to get her attention, I cleaned up her room a bit.

Charlie and Renee ended up staying for about thirty more minutes before telling her they'd be back first thing in the morning before her surgery. They each said goodbye to me, and I simply waved and smiled. When I glanced at the clock I realized I had about fifteen more minutes left, twenty at the most.

"This was not how I expected to spend my Saturday," Bella mused as I came to sit next to her.

"I'm just glad you're okay," I whispered as I hovered over her lips. She reached up to kiss me, but I made sure to put her head back gently because I knew it had to still be sore.

"Thank you for spending the day with me." She looked down and then back up at me. "I know there were probably a million more things you'd rather be doing than hanging out in a hospital."

"Well, you forget, I kind of want to do the whole doctor thing, so I'll have to get used to working in one. And, I got to spend the day with you so it wasn't all that bad," I teased as I reached up to touch her cheek.

"My mom told me she yelled at you pretty good," Bella trailed off and looked away. "She also told me that you said better you than me. So, thank you."

"It wasn't that bad," I lied because it really was brutal. The yelling didn't get to me as much as trying to stay calm did.

"Still, you took the fall for my decision," she pointed out and while I nodded I didn't care. When she stifled a yawn I knew my time with her was coming to an end.

"You need to sleep," I commented and she nodded.

"Will you…I mean, can you lay with me until I fall asleep?" She seemed scared to ask, but I didn't see the problem with her request.

"Sure," I replied as she moved her bed so she was lying down. I stood up for a second to grab her ASP throw that had been folded at the foot of her bed and pulled her tray close enough so if she needed a drink she could still reach it. I also made sure her phone was in reach as was the call button in case she needed a nurse in the middle of the night. And, then I hit the lights, leaving the bathroom light on so it wasn't too dark.

She had scooted over just enough for me to lie on my side next to her. I pulled the blankets up over her and noticed she hadn't taken my hoodie off yet so she should be better warm tonight.

"I'd rather be in my bed at the dorms," Bella commented as her hand came over to link with mine.

"I'm just happy to be with you," I whispered back. "I'll be back in the morning though."

"It's okay if you need to get stuff done, I'm sure you have homework or something," she tried to give me an out, but I wasn't taking it.

"I planned on bringing some stuff for me to work on," I told her.

"Okay." She sighed. "I love you."

"I love you." I replied back and gave her another kiss.

When we broke apart I let her fall asleep without saying another word. It was too dark to see the clock, but it hadn't been more than a few minutes before her nurse came in.

"Mr. Masen, visiting hours are over," she informed me as I worked to get off of Bella's bed without jostling her or tumbling onto the floor. I noticed she hadn't said a word to me about laying down, but I took a few minutes to make sure the blankets were over her and her rail was back up before I kissed her one last time before leaving.

"Love you, Bella," I whispered and she just hummed in her sleep.

"Drive safely," the nurse told me as I took off down the hall sadder than I had been all day. Leaving Bella in her room was one thing, but knowing she was in a hospital bed? Well, I absolutely hated that feeling, but I knew I needed to get some sleep so that I was at my best for her tomorrow.

**I'm out the door...see ya later.**


	25. Dismiss

**Word Prompt:** Dismiss

To describe being in the hospital in one word, I would say it sucks.

I was thankful that my surgery went without complication and that I was finally cleared to walk with crutches, but I felt like a fumbling mess. More than once did someone have to reach out and catch me as I attempted to tumble out of bed.

The biggest perk of the cast though, was finally being able to take a shower. They gave me a special bag to wrap around the cast and then placed a seat inside the shower. I had never been more thankful for hot running water, though seeing myself naked in the small hospital mirror was a shock. I had dark bruises across my chest from where my seatbelt had been and it made me even more thankful that nothing happened to my ribs. My face looked like I'd gotten into a fist fight with a wrestler, but the gash on my forehead was healing pretty well. I had already started using lotion to help lessen the scar even though my hair would cover a good chunk of it.

Edward had spent most of his time during the day keeping me company as had my parents, though I tried to shoo them all away as much as I could; Edward, because he had more to worry about than just me, though we were given time to work on our debate together, but my parents because hospital rooms were boring.

All of my professor's had e-mailed me back pretty quickly and just told me to catch up on my reading, my math professor sent over the file from his power point that week so I didn't fall behind. Most of the Tri-Delta sister's had started taking turns coming to visit me as well though Rosalie was definitely here the most alongside Alice. On one of Rosalie's many trips to visit me she explained that Stephanie, her, and me would be sitting down to talk about my pledging hours once I was out of the hospital. Some modifications were already being planned out since I obviously couldn't partake in everything I had wanted to and being a sober sister was out of the question. I didn't blame the Tri-Delta sorority for me being on the road that night, but it seemed like some of them did. And, that is why I hated to say it but Alice's constant apologizes were driving me insane. She had no way of knowing some drunk idiot would be on the roads at the exact second I was, and wishing she had gone instead of me just meant she could have been where I was. In hindsight, things would have been done differently but I refused to think of the worst. I had let myself the day after the accident, but I hated that feeling so I did my best to remain strong.

Dr. Cullen had been up to visit me every day even though he explained that he wasn't my actual doctor, though it made no sense to me because I rarely saw anyone else outside of nurses. He also told me tomorrow would be bust out day and I couldn't wait. I had asked what I was going to do about my dorm room, but everyone seemed to brush me off so I wondered if they had already started working that kink out. I knew my parents had been on the phone with the dean's office almost immediately so I was sure something was happening though it seemed to be kept a secret.

When my mom walked in with lunch I smiled and sat up thankful that I had yet to touch any of the hospital food delivered to me.

"I got Subway," she informed and brought over a bag and drink. I was a little more excited than I should have been for a sub, but I started ripping the plastic away anyway.

"Thanks," I replied as I started to set up my tray.

"Someone sure cleaned up in here," she remarked as she came to sit next to me and eat.

I looked around the room and nothing seemed overly clean. Edward had come before his classes today to check on me, but I was still tired so I wasn't fully awake through his visit. I knew he'd be back tonight at some point but I knew it would be later since he had a fraternity thing he couldn't miss. Edward being Edward he tried to apologize, but I brushed him off. Life didn't stop just because I was stuck in a hospital bed and he had neglected himself enough since the weekend and with me leaving tomorrow, I knew he'd probably start hovering over my dorm room next. I loved him, I really, really did, but we both needed time to breathe. I figured I'd give him another week before I staged an intervention and made Emmett take him out or throw him in a lake or something.

"Edward came over this morning," I told her. "He brought breakfast before class so he probably did it. I fell back asleep."

"He sure is something," my mom remarked offhandedly, but there was something in her tone that clued me in to the lecture I was about to endure. She always had that tone when I was growing up, when I had done something she didn't approve of or wanted me to think about something differently, so it was always my warning signal. Unlike then, I couldn't just up and walk away now.

"Yes he is," I acknowledged and took another bite of my teriyaki chicken sub.

"Bella," she started and I tried my hardest not to grown. "There is some stuff I've wanted to talk to you about and now seems as good as any. So, I'll start simple, your father and I really like Edward. He's proven himself in a lot of ways, but we're also a bit concerned. Or well, I'm concerned that things are just a little too serious."

When I opened my mouth to interrupt her, she raised her hand to signal that she wasn't done so I shut my mouth and kept eating.

"I know, I know, you're an adult, but let me finish. I'm not sure you realize the full scope of what he has done just in the past few days. There are some husbands in this country that wouldn't go to such lengths for their wives as Edward has for you, which is amazing in its own right. He was obviously raised to care and show respect towards others, but what I don't want to see is you losing yourself in the middle." She took a breathe and I knew trying to say anything, yet was just going to get me silenced again so I continued to listen as I reached for my drink.

"Obviously, I'm the last person in the world to be talking to you about rushing into things, but just remember that your father and I were much older. There is nothing wrong with finding your soul mate at a young age, in fact, I'm not sure I could have picked a more perfect man for you had I tried to write one down. But, please just be cautious because this is so new. You've yet to have time to figure out the bad side and trust me, something will pop up that is going to drive you insane and it may be small and it won't matter, but it can also be really big and it does. I guess what I'm saying is please stay level headed as you always have. And, don't think your father and I don't approve because we do, but you're nineteen and if your relationship goes more serious than you're prepared to, please speak up."

When she stopped talking and took a bite of her sandwich I knew I had my own opening to talk.

"First, I appreciate your concern," I began to list. "Second, I appreciate your approval. Third, I refuse to sell my soul to the devil just because a good looking guy took interest in me. Fourth, I don't think Edward is perfect, he has his quirks but so far they're small and manageable. And, fifth, I know I'm young but you absolutely have no room to talk."

"At long as you know I'm here to talk to, I'll leave Seattle happy, okay?" she questioned, and I nodded.

"I know, mom. Though, you're really okay with the whole pledging thing?" I asked even though she had taken the time to explain her past ordeal finally and even though she told me to thank my father for my bank account still being left intact, I still wondered how much of her calmness was related to me being in a hospital bed.

"I'm still not thrilled that you hid it, but watching the community rally around you this past week has helped me see that maybe it's a different world now," she explained. "I also have faith that you'll walk away if you one day realize it's not for you."

I nodded my head as I stuffed another chip into my mouth.

"Speaking of faith, I know we've done the whole birds and bees talk, but you are being safe, right? You know the rules about antibiotics and all that," she went on to remind me as I tried not to choke on the food in my mouth.

"Mom, we're not…" I froze before I finished that sentence.

"Okay," she drew out, "But, when it happens."

"If it happens," I corrected before I even realized what I was saying. My head was starting to hurt again and I knew my thoughts were going to start getting cloudy soon.

"Bella you're in college, I don't assume," she tried to explain, but this time I held up my hand.

"Edward is a little old fashioned, mom," I told her bluntly because I figured she'd get what I was saying without me having to spell it out.

"Of course he is," she remarked though her entire facial expression changed. "I don't even know what to say to that, just remember the whole he's not perfect mantra, stuff will pop up, skeletons or something, maybe. I'm not even sure, are you sure he's not going for sainthood?"

"Mom, that's a little extreme," I dismissed though her reaction made me laugh. What mother on Earth would be saddened that her teenage daughter in college wasn't having sex? I mean, we hadn't even really talked about any of that and it did remind me of one skeleton that I knew Edward had…Kara.

**Back to Bella, and this time it's just her and her mom. **


	26. Slumber

Word Prompts: Slumber

I was thankful that there wasn't much fanfare with my departure from the hospital. My parents were the only ones in the room, though Edward and Emmett had swung by earlier to grab all of the flowers, cards, and gifts that needed to be brought back to campus. They also dropped off breakfast which was thoughtful since they both had early classes they needed to rush back to campus for.

My mom hadn't said another word about Edward and mine's relationship and my dad didn't dare bring up the subject either. I had assumed when she spoke, it was really them speaking, so I figured he felt the same. As I sat and thought about her words that night I realized that in some ways she was right. Instead of focusing on when my medicine was due, the physical therapy I'd be looking at for my ankle, or well, not falling behind with my classes, I actually watched Edward. Like, actually watched him and everything he did.

No one was there that night besides him so it made it easy to observe his actions, whether it was bringing me my dinner and setting it all up on my tray before bringing it to me. My mom would just hand me a bag, but Edward would dish it out like he was a waiter at a restaurant. He also took extra time and care to ensure all of the garage was cleared off my counter top, anything I had laying out was put back into place, including folding any blanket I wasn't using. I had taken to wearing bigger t-shirts and sweatshirts with comfy knit shorts after my last surgery because they were easy to get on and off with my foot, and I no longer had to wear the hospital gown. However, I had never seen Edward's room in the ASP house so it was also possible that he was just an OCD neat freak. Then, there was his patience with me. I was able to get up by myself though I moved nowhere as fast or as steady as I had before, but he was also at my side offering his help even if I'd say no. In a lot of ways, he did act more like a husband than a boyfriend.

We had spent part of the night finishing up our debate for our psychology class before he lied down with me before I fell asleep. I was pretty sure the nurses realized what we did every night, but no one ever said anything, at least not while I was awake. The last thing I'd smell before I'd go to sleep was Edward and he was mostly there by the time I woke up.

That night also gave me time to look at him. My injuries were still present though the bumps and bruises were healing well; I realized he was starting to look exhausted. He had bags under his eyes that hadn't been there the week prior, and I could just tell the stress of the constant back and forth was hitting him harder than he'd ever say. I also knew as long as I stayed in my hospital bed that there would be no way to convince him to take it easy, but now that I was going to be free I planned on being a little more forceful.

My mom had been right thought, because things were serious. Really, they had reached a point of seriousness I hadn't even realized we'd gotten to, but it didn't scare me. Well, maybe I was a little nervous, but the butterflies that appeared the first time I met him, hadn't disappeared in the least. He'd flash his smile and I'd swoon, but I figured that was also part of the newness. In the span of a week so much had happened and maybe it wasn't how I wanted the push with Edward to go, but it's exactly what happened. The only sense of dread that I had was having the official 'what are we' talk again because they always made me uncomfortable. Edward had admitted that he was scared to push too fast for fear of me running, but if I were being honest I had that same fear. At nineteen you're not really supposed to meet the man you want to marry, at least I never expected to, yet I had. Logistically, Edward was stuck in school for as long as I was which seemed horribly unfair considering I was a freshman and he was a senior. I also knew we'd have to talk about things once he was out of the ASP campus and out on his own. It was almost like we were going to be leading two different lives, with him in medical school and me just trying to get through college, but I also had faith that we'd work the kinks out.

When we got to my dorm building I cringed at the idea of going up steps, but my mom bypassed the steps and my dad pointed down the hallway. Figuring that this is what had been hidden from me; I played along and acted shocked once she knocked on the third door down. There were quieted whispered behind the door and I wondered exactly who they had stuffed in there. When Alice opened the door the smile beaming from her face was huge and she was pretty much bouncing.

"Welcome home," she squealed as my parents walked inside followed by me. Everyone yelled surprise from behind her as I took it all in.

The room was bigger than my last one and a room divider curtain was hung in the middle. On one side, all of Alice's stuff from upstairs had come downstairs. On the other side, all of my stuff sat exactly how I had it upstairs.

"You moved in?" I looked at Alice who yelled yes while those around her laughed. Edward was there, of course, as was Rosalie, Stephanie, Emmett, and Jasper.

"Since the doctor recommended that you may need some help, we figured you wouldn't mind sharing with Alice for a bit. She still technically lives upstairs, so she can move back up into your old room once you're back on two feet," my mom explained as I nodded and looked over at her. Alice had previously had a roommate, so who bought out my old room?

"Well, that works," I said and looked around deciding to just not ask any questions.

"Everyone helped," Alice explained and pointed to where everyone was standing.

"You guys did a good job of moving my stuff, so thank you," I addressed the room as Emmett tried to take all the credit for moving the heavy stuff. When Rosalie slapped his chest, I actually laughed.

"Now, do you want to see our biggest surprise?" Alice asked as she pulled back the curtain from her side of the room. When she walked to the far wall I realized there was a door, what I hadn't realized was that it was for a bathroom.

"We have our own bathroom now? How did you manage that?" I questioned, and my mom explained that this was considered a handicapped room which is why it was so much bigger than upstairs. So, included in that was our own bathroom.

"Score," I announced as I high-fived Alice.

"Well, kiddo, how does it feel to be back in your dorm?" my dad asked me after I said goodbye to Stephanie, Rosalie, and Emmett. The Tri-Delta's had a party planned for the next night at their house and I promised I'd attend even though Rosalie and Steph both told me not to rush myself.

"It feels good, almost like normal minus this thing on my leg." I pointed at the cast and cringed a bit. When I left, the doctors said another two weeks in the cast and then I'd be able to move into a walking boot full time after that. Even though I'd still be required to wear that most of the time, at least I'd be able to take normal showers and sleep with it off. I'd still wrap my ankle of course, but casts weighed a lot and it made me feel like I had gained an extra ten pounds just in one leg.

"How do you feel about going out to dinner with us? We probably won't see you before we head out in the morning," he asked as I sat down on my bed.

"Can you give me like an hour to take a shower and change? I feel really gross right now," I explained. I looked over at Edward to see him staring over in my direction while my mom talked to Alice.

"Of course, Bella, take as much time as you need," he told me before walking over to my mom.

I opened the bag my dad had brought in from the hospital and pulled the cast bag out so I could shower. Thankfully our shower had a fold out seat so I didn't really need to worry about standing too much since the cast bag made my foot more slippery than normal.

"What are you looking for?" Edward asked when he realized I was hunting for something after I put the bag down. Both my mom and dad were over on Alice's side talking to her and Jasper.

"Do you know where my shower stuff is?" Edward nodded, walked over to my closet and pulled down my caddy I used to tote stuff around upstairs. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he returned. "I heard your dad ask you about dinner. I figure I'll head out after I say goodbye and call you in the morning?"

I pouted at the thought of not having him with me tonight, but I nodded into his chest as he pressed his lips to my forehead.

"Maybe you should come," I suggested but Edward shook his head.

"I'm trying not to hover," her informed me. "Besides, it's your parents last night in the city, I'm sure they want some alone time with you."

"They've had days of alone time with me," I deadpanned as he chuckled and bent down to actually kiss me.

"So, it's all set," my mom announced as she walked back over to my side of the room effectively separating me and Edward. She gave me an odd look, before continuing, "Alice and Jasper are coming to dinner too, Edward do you have any plans tonight?"

"Um, no," he replied with a bit of a stutter as a smirk took over my lips as I looked over at him.

"Good, than you can come to dinner too," she assumed and then kept talking to me about the plan. Jasper was going to drive Alice and Edward was going to drive me to a nice restaurant in downtown, we'd be meeting in a little over an hour, and it was my parent's treat. I was pretty sure Edward was going to protest at some point, maybe even Jasper, but against my dad they'd lose.

My parents said their goodbyes as we all told them we'd see them as a bit. They both wanted to change at the hotel before going out too so it seemed we all needed time to get ready, though I was sure Jasper and Edward were fine.

"Guess you're stuck with me tonight after all," I teased Edward before hooking my caddy on my arm and grabbing my crutches.

"Oh, what a hardship that is going to be," he mocked back to me. "Besides, it just means I get to drop you off here tonight."

"Nah, we're having a slumber party," I replied as I hobbled over towards the bathroom.

When Edward hollered back that he was a fan of slumber parties all I heard was Jasper snickering before I shut he bathroom door.

**Bella is back in her dorm and wants to have a slumber party...hmm, wonder how that is going to work out. More to come tomorrow :) **


	27. Story

**Word Prompt**: Story

Dinner with my parents was a lot of fun, but also really sad at the same time. I had adjusted to them being gone when they first dropped me off at college and I felt like I'd have to re-adjust when they left again. Having them in town was nice, although, I wished it was for different circumstances. Conversations stayed pretty lively as we talked about a little bit of everything, while also nothing at all. The only point of contention was when the bill game and all three of the men at the table reached for their wallets. Jasper knew to back off quickly, but Edward tried to push. My father brushed him off and told him to save his money, and he eventually gave him but I knew he didn't want to.

My mom cried before they took off for their hotel and while I tried not to, I failed once I hit Edward's car. He held my hand once we had started driving, but didn't really push for me to talk. Instead, I just stared out the window at the city lights and waited until we got back to campus.

Once we got back to my room Edward got a text from Jasper that he and Alice were headed to the ASP house for a while. I didn't think much of it and just shrugged when he told me as I hobbled around trying to find something to wear to bed. Most of my comfier clothes needed to be washed, so when I pulled out fuzzy sleep pants and a tank top Edward tried not to laugh. He had pretty much stripped down to his boxers and undershirt by the time I was out of the bathroom. I tried not to stare, but failed.

This was our first official sleepover and my leg was in a cast that easily weighed ten pounds. Of course, I knew sex was off limits for Edward, or, at least, I thought so. We hadn't done a lot of serious talking while I was in the hospital. There were a few times we'd gotten onto serious topics just for a visitor to show up or a nurse to check in, and after my first night, we both kind of dropped everything. I had expected stuff to come up later, but I also hadn't expected my first night back to have him over. And, I wasn't complaining about that at all.

"Lay down first, and then I'll find room," Edward instructed as I tried to find a comfortable position with my cast. I was thankful the new room came with a bigger bed because I needed the space to throw pillows under the cast so it didn't feel like dead weight. I got a little huffy when my body wasn't moving the way I wanted it to, but the second the bed sunk in with Edward's weight I relaxed a bit.

He slowly slid in next to me, and I naturally moved to feel closer to him.

"Is this okay?" he asked as he adjusted his body up against my side. I just nodded my head before his mouth surprisingly found mine. Edward was never very forward, but tonight he seemed to let himself go little more and I got to reap in the benefits.

Kissing Edward was like walking on clouds. The way his lips felt on mine was like nothing I had ever felt before and I wondered if one day it wouldn't feel like this. His hand came up to cup my cheek and I knew we would probably be able to get so much closer if it weren't for the damn cast. It wasn't like I hadn't had it for the past week, but being at home and not being able to move quickly was already starting to annoy me. _Stupid drunk drivers_, I thought as he slowly pulled away.

"I love you," he whispered over my lips before placing a small kiss on the tip of my nose.

"And, I love you," I returned my eyes locked on his. The only light in my room was a small lamp on the nightstand, but it gave off enough of a glow that I could see his face pretty clear.

"You're beautiful," he said just as softly before kissing me again. I sighed as I relished in his touches, though internally I questioned if he was blind. I still pretty much looked like I'd gotten into a fight with a steering wheel and lost, but who was I to question a future doctor? "What?"

"Nothing," I lied as I cursed myself for thinking at that moment. Reality would come sooner or later, could it not be later?

"You're a bad liar," he teased and I mocked glared at him.

"I've been told that before," I informed him.

"Your dad?" Edward asked.

"My mom," I clarified as he chuckled and moved to sit up a little more. I followed suit, but at a much slower pace. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Edward asked as he took my hand in his.

"Ruining our mood," I replied and he slowly nodded. "I think I'm just thinking too much. My head hasn't really stopped for the past week, and I'd like to be calm right about now."

"You should never apologize for thinking. I'm pretty sure your gender went to war because you weren't allowed to think," Edward reminded me as I laughed. He was so random sometimes. "But, if you insist on thinking, what are you thinking about?"

"You, me, us," I blurted out, and I could see the lines of concern start to show on his face.

"Well," he coughed. "That is kind of vague, can you be a little but more descript?"

"Well, we had that really big talk in the hospital," I explained. "And, I guess I'm just confused."

"Okay," Edward replied. "Tell me what confuses you," he lifted my hand to his lips, "And then, we'll figure out how to make it less confusing."

Coming from anyone else, that answer would have made me want to slap them. It sounded like something a total smartass would say, but I knew Edward wasn't being malicious while at the same time I wasn't really sure how to answer him. I felt like I had questions I wasn't even sure how to word and that gave me an idea.

"Can we play a game?" I suggested. "Like twenty questions and we take turns?"

"Sure," he answered though his voice trailed like he was unsure how that thought even came up. "How about you start?"

"Okay, what's your favorite color?" I figured I'd start off really easy as an icebreaker.

"I used to think I liked the color blue, but I'm actually pretty partial to brown nowadays," he replied and I looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. Brown; brown was such a boring color.

"You like brown," I finally managed to say and he nodded his head.

"Bella, I'm not sure if you've ever looked in a mirror, but your eyes are brown as is your hair," he pointed out, and this time, I did nudge him which of course made him laugh. It wasn't until I slightly pouted that he came to his senses. "Sorry," he apologized as I shrugged. "Babe, I'm not sure what is going on in your head right now. This past week has been a mess for you, you're finally back here, and I know next week will be rough getting around on those things," he said as he pointed to my crutches. "But, whatever there is concerning me, just say it. You don't need to be worried about scaring me or offending me, if you have a question, ask it and I'll answer it regardless of what it is. We don't need games Bella, whatever has you confused or nervous or scared or anything else, I want to fix it. I love you, in fact I love you a lot, whatever else there is, is just details."

When he moved over to kiss me again I finally let go because I knew he was right. Maybe my insecurities were spawning from how quick this happened or the accident, hell, maybe my inexperience with serious relationships, but I knew he was right. I just needed to let go, trust him, and speak up. I had never thought I had an issue with speaking my mind until I met him, so I knew I needed to work on it because we'd get nowhere if he couldn't trust me to say something when something was wrong. .

Edward smiled as we broke apart.

"Maybe we should watch a movie," he suggested, but I shook my head.

"No, I want to talk," I announced and he positioned himself so that we were looking at each other. "I want to know about the past. I feel like so much of what happened at the beginning revolved around this thing¸ this event, that I wasn't around for. The name Kara keeps getting brought up and I have no idea who she is or why she's so important, and, at first, when you told me you weren't ready to talk about it, I was okay with that, but I feel like we've moved on from that point and now I want to know. We each have a past so nothing you say is going to affect us now if that worries you, but it bothers me that the name can be brought up so easily by others and yet I don't even know what or who she was or why she means so much."

Edward nodded his head as I heard a large intake of breathe. He looked down for a second before looking back up. He didn't seem worried or anxious, but there was just a sadness I hadn't seen moments earlier in his eyes. For a brief second, I regretted asking, but then I realized that this was a barrier we needed to pass. I was sure the story wasn't that bad, I mean, this was Edward, but his blatant change in expression put me on edge.

"Okay," he answered nearly a minute later. "I'll tell you the story about Kara."

I wanted to say thank you, but he didn't give me a chance to speak before he launched into a speech of his own. ow about your start?"

**Sorry this is so much later than I normally post. I sat down to write this a few nights ago and got stuck right as they started to talk. How I had it in my head wasn't translating and then my girl's just had a ton going on this weekend. Should be another update tomorrow, sorry for the cliffie type ending, it was this or nothing since I have to go to bed! **

**Thank you for reading. **


	28. Collide

**Word Prompt**: Collide

Seeing Edward become so nervous was harder than I thought it'd be. On one hand, I felt bad for pushing, while on the other hand, I knew that this story needed to come out. Whatever it was, it could not be any worse than I was already concocting in my head. I thought about everything from his first true love to psycho ex, and everything in between. I worried he still thought about her, though his attention never seemed to waiver from me, and I wondered if I'd ever passed her on campus. It was getting bad, so I needed the answers for my own sanity.

"I met Kara when I was a freshman during rush week," Edward explained. "I had gone to a few houses to scope things out with Emmett, while Rosalie did the same with a few girls she'd met in her dorm building. One of those girls happened to be Kara. She wasn't a freshman like us, but her sorority house was full so she was staying in the dorms. She seemed nice and at every turn, it was like we constantly kept running into them. I never thought much about it, she was in a group with Rose and she and Emmett seem to collide without trying." He paused for a second and looked away. I could almost feel his frustration roll off of him, but he kept on.

"After our initial rush period and getting bids and pledging, life seemed to just settle down. Emmett and I chose ASP, Rose didn't get a bid into Kara's sorority but they still remained friends since they lived on the same floor. All seemed fine for a while, we all hung out on and off campus and naturally our group sort of paired up, except me. When I got to school I still preferred to be a little more reserved and I was never one for huge parties, Emmett well, he dragged me around a lot. After a few months and Emmett's push I decided to give thing with Kara a go and asked her out." When he stopped talking again, I almost spoke up, but something told me not to.

"When I look back now, I know that I wanted to like her more than I did. I figured with us always being out together anyway that it wouldn't be that big of a change, but I was wrong. Slowly she started popping up more than she had before. I was pledging to a house that traditionally doesn't link up with hers and she began pushing me to de-pledge and attempt to go over to DE's house the next year. I had made the commitment to ASP, as had Emmett, and I wasn't leaving, but I didn't think much of it at the time. I was still young, maybe a bit naive, and I assumed it was because she didn't like going to every event solo. A few weeks after that, I had gone out to a party with some of the ASP brother's off campus. I wasn't old enough to drink, so I was technically acting as their DD, but it was just like another bonding thing. The Tri-Delta's house was there and that was actually when I met Stephanie, she was there acting as a DD for her sister's, and we started talking. Honestly, it was innocent, but Kara showed up about an hour in and blew up. She went after me, than tried to attack Stephanie, I got pulled out and was handed my ass by Drew, the ASP President at the time, and the whole night ended with a mess. I apologized to Steph about twenty times before she'd even talk to me and it just got ugly. That night, I broke up with her."

As Edward started to talk, I was starting to see that she was probably in the psycho ex range, but she also sounded very clingy and very insecure. Of course, in the same thought I started to wonder if I had done anything to make Edward think I could turn into a psycho at a moment's notice.

"Anyway, she didn't take it well. She screamed and cried and cried some more, but I was done. I can handle a lot of things, but trust is huge with me. Once she showed how little she trusted me it was over, but that wasn't good enough for her. It started with random texts throughout the day about how sorry she was, and I heard everything from she'd been drinking to someone had told her more had gone on to she hadn't had enough sleep. Eventually, I called to block the number from contacting me, so she got a new number. That went on for a few days before I started getting random letters on my dorm room door. They were more or less the same, but a little crazier. I contacted her sorority President who swore she'd put an end to it, but then it just got worse. She stated popping up in my classes, at the cafeteria, at my car, at ASP events; you name it and she was there. Sometimes she'd try to talk to me and sometimes she'd act like I didn't exist. One night before Thanksgiving break she cornered me in the parking lot and told me I'd be sorry for not taking her back. I had finally had enough and went to the dean with everything. She vowed to step in, but it was Thanksgiving break and I was staying at my parents for a few days, so I never had a chance to follow up before driving home. My parents' house is only about forty-five minutes away, so I wasn't far." Edward took another break and after a second I held my hand out for his. He willingly put his hand in mine as I gently rubbed his knuckles. When I had asked about Kara, I guess I hadn't realized it would be so in-depth, but I could tell the end was near.

"When I got home, everything was normal. My mom and aunt were in the kitchen, my dad and uncle were watching a ball game, Emmett and Rosalie were off doing something, and when the door rang I didn't think twice but to answer. We were expected a few family friends anyway, but when I opened the door to see Kara I freaked. We had only gone on a handful of dates; it wasn't like I had introduced her to my parents or gave her their address. I quietly tried to get her to leave, but she had other plans. My mom, of course, rushed to the door and before I could even utter a word she told my mom she was pregnant and it was mine."

"What?" I blurted out interrupting him. My eyes blinked rapidly as I tried to take in what he had just said. Edward chuckled for a second and shook his head, before hushing me so he could finish.

"In the moment, I froze. I hadn't realized exactly how vindictive she was at the time, but I did know she was very desperate. My mom then started to freak out which grabbed the attention of everybody in the house, my parent's friends showed up about ten minutes into this huge exchange that had Kara explaining to my mom and aunt that she had told me and I told her to get an abortion and I offered to pay for it and on and on. No matter what I said, nobody listened until Emmett and Rosalie came in and Rosalie flipped out. She had known everything that had been going on, on campus and she freaked. I've never seen Rose explode quite like that, but by the time she was done everyone was just as confused as they were from the start. It ended up being one of the worst trips home ever, my dad lectured me on the importance of who I associated with, my mom wasn't sure what to believe but Kara had brought a positive pregnancy test so she believed she was pregnant, my aunt tried to comfort me, and my uncle gave me a good lecture on life lessons. Of course, being the doctor, he immediately offered to take her to the hospital right that second to verify that whole mess and when Kara didn't refuse I had a gut feeling that she wasn't lying. One ultrasound later and her pregnancy was confirmed, but when my uncle gave me the dates I knew it wasn't mine."

I nodded my head somewhat relieved that Edward didn't have a child I wasn't aware of, but his statement about casual sex was definitely starting to make a lot more sense to me too.

"My mom wanted to go after her for defamation of character, which I refused. I denied that I could have been the father for almost two weeks before she finally broke down to one of the sister's in her sorority. She had always known the Cullen and Masen families had money, so when I asked her out, she wasn't going to say no. Her parents are well off so she wanted more or less the same, but then she got pregnant from a random hook-up about a week after we started dating. When I broke things off with her, her plans had gotten ruined because she had already told her parents about me. She didn't go home for Thanksgiving because she told her folks she was invited to my parents' house which is why she used that moment to make a scene. She never expected so many questions and she figured I'd bow down because she knew I was a 'good guy'." He actually used his hands to quote those words. "Her sister ended up going to the dean because she feared for Kara's life, it seemed the further along she got, the more alarming her behavior got."

"Her dad showed up at my dorm room the week of finals to inform me that Kara would no longer be bothering me and they were moving her to a school out east. I haven't seen nor heard from her sincer, but I spent most of sophomore year talking exclusively to ASP Brothers and Tri-Delta Sisters. So, that is the story of Kara, and why Rosalie felt the need to warn you or warn me, I don't know. You're not her, but she's always told me I'm nicer than I should be and I guess she felt like I had put myself in a position to be vulnerable again. When I look back now, there were a lot of things I ignored even early on before I asked her out, but I try not to think about it now."

There was a slight pause and I realized it was now my turn to talk, but what did you say to that? Kara was definitely a psycho ex-girlfriend and I was mildly offended that Rosalie would even put my name in the same sentence as this chick, but I could see her being protective of Edward. At least she liked me now, I guess.

"When I asked about Kara I was not expecting that," I informed him with a sigh. "And, I guess it makes sense why Rose is go protective of you, though our names better never be in the same sentence again."

"Bella," Edward said as he moved to sit next to me again. "You're not her; I wouldn't be here if I thought you were.'

"Well, that is reassuring," I replied sarcastically still a bit shocked from his story. I realized we had been sitting in the same position for a while when I tried to turn my body and I winced in pain from my leg falling sleep.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, my leg is just asleep and it feels really weird," I explained as I tried to massage it so it'd wake back up. When Edward pushed my hands out of the way and started kneading just above my knee my breath actually hitched a bit. He looked up at me and smiled just a bit.

"Better?" I nodded my head and twisted my body so that I was back to being closer to him.

"I guess it goes without saying that you slept with her?" I had asked about Kara, I didn't figure there was much more that could be worse and if we were doing serious, I was ready to get serious out of the way so we could focus on everything else.

"I swear you have ADD sometimes, but yes, I did," he answered honestly with a chuckle. "I have slept with two girls in my life."

"I'm assuming Kara is the reason behind your casual sex rule?" I looked over at him in time to see his head slightly nod.

"Yes and no. Emmett had made me go with him to a party our senior year and I ended up losing my virginity that night to a girl I had been friends with for a while. We were close to graduating, she wanted to and I let my hormones rule me. Nothing happened again after that until Kara, and then after that whole mess I had sort of ruled out the idea of dating all together. My focus really was on school and I had a timeline for my life, I want kids one day but not now and especially not then, but my uncle sat me down after it was all said and done and lectured me a bit. He reminded me that sex had a purpose and I needed to choose wiser. I knew I was never going to see Rebecca after graduation and I thought of Kara as more of a fling, so by the end of his speech I felt a little guilty. I made a resolve that night to be more careful in a lot of aspects of my life, and sex was one. I've been on a few dates since Kara, but I had never met someone I could see being with long term so it never really became an issue," Edward explained seriously. "And, then I met you."

I looked over again and saw him smiling though the glow of the lamp blocked a lot of his face with shadow. He leaned over to kiss my forehead and I sighed into his chest.

"And, then you met me," I repeated his words out loud. "You see a future with me."

"I do," he replied. "I think there are still things we're learning about each other and I think it'll be a learning experience, but I can see a future and I like the idea of that. You took my breath away the second I saw you and even when I thought you hated me; it took a lot for me not to think about you. In a way, what I went through is part of why I tried to push back from you so much. I didn't want to turn into that and I never wanted you to feel as uncomfortable as I had been. I cared about you then, and then we finally started talking and you just bring this peace I've never felt before. When Emmett got the call, if things had ended differently." He shook his head and sighed before finishing, "I would have always thought about the what-ifs."

"Well, I'm here," I exclaimed in a cheesy tone that made him chuckle. He kissed me again before pulling back with a smile.

"You are here. However, since we're in the realms of pasts, fess up," Edward pushed and this time it was my time to groan.

"Can we lay down first, my back is starting to hurt," I said and cringed as I tried to move my back against my wall.

Edward helped me adjust the pillows behind me as I stretched my arms over my head to help my muscles relax a little bit. He ended up turning the lamp off before getting in bed right next to me. Once we were settled, I knew it was my turn to start talking.

"Well, I don't have any really entertaining stories, but I dated a few guys in high school. My dad is the police chief so that was intimidating, but there was this guy, Randall, that I dated the longest and who I lost my virginity to. The first time was awkward and we chose a really bad spot, we had a sex a few more times before I broke up with him. It wasn't that great," I explained anticlimactically. I didn't really have much of past or much dating experience. I stuck to school work, I hung out with friends, and while I wasn't an outcast, I wasn't Miss Popularity either.

"That's it?" he asked and I was glad he couldn't see me rolling my eyes.

"Pretty much," I replied. "I told you, my life wasn't all that exciting. This past week had been the most excitement I've had since I got my bid to the Tri-Delta's and before then it was getting my acceptance letter to UW."

"You call this past week exciting?" Edward's tone threw me, I wasn't sure if he was teasing or being serious.

"Sure, my parents came to town, I got waited on hand and foot, I heard three pretty awesome words from my boyfriend, ya know, pretty exciting if I do say so," I teased.

"Boyfriend, huh. Anyone I know?" When Edward slipped his arm out from under my head and prompted himself up over me, I knew he had taken the hint that I was joking.

"I think you might; really good looking, pretty tall, auburn hair, green eyes…ringing any bells?" I went on before Edward came down to kiss me. Instead of letting go after a few seconds, I kept my hands pressed on his shoulders so he wouldn't move. When he deepened the kiss even further I had to focus on not moaning into his mouth and trying to stay grounded at the time. It wasn't easy.

When we broke apart, I was left momentarily speechless as Edward moved back to lying next to me. I had almost forgotten about what we were talking about until he spoke up again.

"Now, being serious, what didn't you like?" While Edward's question was valid, it was also sort of awkward to answer. I guess this was part of communicating so I went with it.

"The first time hurt, not like getting your leg pinned by a steering wheel hurt, but uncomfortable. We tried like two or three more times after that, and it didn't hurt, but it felt like nothing. I don't even know how to explain it, I just didn't enjoy it," I mumbled the last part quietly.

"I see," Edward replied and it almost sounded like he was holding back a laugh. I appreciated that he hadn't laughed because at the time it worried me. I eventually did more research and realized it probably had something to do with positions and inexperience, but after the last time I almost caved and asked my mom if I was broken. I was old enough to know sex was supposed to feel good and I felt nothing…well, it was wet, and uncomfortable, and awkward, but it was also boring and sleep worthy.

"Can we drop it now?" I asked to ensure it wouldn't come up again for the moment.

"If you'd like," he answered. "But, Bella I have to warn you about something."

"What?" I snapped a little louder than I had intended because I fully expected him to crack a joke or something.

"I was just going to tell you, that when it does happen, because it will, there isn't a chance in hell that you won't feel it."

I wasn't sure whether to smile or smack him. So, I did both.

And, then, I cursed the damn cast.

**I'm tired, good night :)**


	29. Doughnut

**Word Prompt**: Doughnut

"Hmmmm," I moaned as I rolled to my back and stretched with my hands over my head. Edward had taken the side of the bed away from the wall and was currently out cold. He was facing me and looked so adorable with his eyes shut and face half way smashed into my pillow. However, his position posed a problem for me because I had to somehow maneuver my way out of bed without disturbing him so I could get to the bathroom.

I took one look at my cast and then one look at him. I could try to go over him, but that risked hurting us both, or I could slide to the end of the bed and crawl out through the small space between the end of my bed and my cabinet thingy. Figuring that would be my best option I started to scoot down leaving the blankets on top of him as I moved. When my cast hit the floor, I looked back to make sure he had remained covered and unbothered, but my eyes were too focused on his boxers to think properly.

The words from last night were far from forgotten and if the thing that threatened to poke out of his boxers was any indication of his size I knew he would be right. How could you not feel that? He was obviously erect and if the button had come undone there was no telling if he'd actually stay inside those things.

After about two minutes I realized I was still staring at his crotch and started to wonder what he'd think if he actually woke up so I threw the blanket back over him and practically fell onto the floor with a thump. I looked up to see he hadn't stirred and managed to stand up without much effort.

By the time I got to the bathroom, I thought my bladder was going to explode but was thankful Edward had slept through the mess. I knew he had worn himself thin over the past week so I had no intentions of waking him up. I also noticed that Alice never ended up coming back and figured she slept at the ASP house. I momentarily wondered if that was awkward since Jasper had a roommate. I'd ask her later.

I peeked out to see Edward still in a dead sleep so I hobbled around grabbing some new clothes and my towel and hit the bathroom for an early morning shower. When I saw my phone light up I grabbed it and noticed a text from Alice asking me to text her when I was awake.

'I'm up, what's up?-Bella'

'Breakfast? Doughnuts?-Alice'

'Please, E is sleeping, fixin to take a shower.-Bella'

'Jasper is with me. See you in twenty.-Alice'

I put my phone down on the counter and reached for the cast bag I had hung up the day before. My phone went off a few seconds after I sat down to put it on.

'J wanted to know if E is decent?-Alice'

'Nothing happened, you're safe.-Bella'

'Damn, sucks to be you. LOL See you soon.-Alice'

_Bitch_, I cursed in my head. I was sure I'd hear about her latest romps with Jasper sooner or later. We hadn't talked much while I was in the hospital either, she visited a lot, but interruptions were constant. I knew the second I got the walking boot I'd be having a girl's night out or something. Maybe we'd do a nice dinner or something, but I needed some girl time desperately.

I stayed in the shower a little longer than normal because I got lost in my own thoughts. I obviously couldn't un-see what I had seen this morning so that was there, but so were Edward's words from the night before. The talk was awkward, but needed and I was glad that the air was officially cleared. I'd be having some words with Rosalie, but didn't plan on being too mean, she was my big after all. Yeah, I really had to be informed in a hospital that she was my big sister, but I also knew next week I'd be having a meeting with her and Stephanie to assess my hours for pledging.

Edward was pretty clear that he saw us being together and I was fine with that, but I also didn't know how that related to sex. Obviously, my previous experiences were nothing to write home about, but I also didn't know when it would happen with us and that made me nervous. Would I need an engagement ring? Hell, I didn't even have a lavalier yet, though something told me he would be fixing that soon enough. But, I didn't realize until after the fact that we never really talked about sex in terms of us. I was so shocked by his cocky attitude, though I guess it really was warranted because I wasn't sure that thing was going to fit, that the conversation ended right there.

When I turned the water off I realized none of it mattered right then. I obviously wasn't going to have sex with a huge cast on my leg and I knew it would still be off limits with the walking boot so I'd push it to the back of my mind for now and try to forget what I saw. My attempts were probably futile, but I tried.

It took a little maneuvering, but I managed to get a pair of leggings over my cast before I slipped on a comfy dress. I really was never a fan of dresses, but for the sake of my leg, jeans were going to have to wait at least a few more weeks. And, while I always needed my crutches out and about, the room was small enough that I could hobble around without constantly using them.

Once I exited the bathroom I realized Alice and Jasper were already there and Edward looked like he had just woken up. His clothes were back on, which made me pout a bit, but he half smiled when he saw me. Alice and Jasper had brought doughnuts and coffee and he seemed pleased with that.

"Morning," he muttered when I came to sit next to him on my bed after I grabbed a sprinkled doughnut.

"Good morning, Sunshine," I teased before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "I was trying to let you sleep."

"Thank you," he replied and yawned again. I was so happy we didn't have class today and I really hoped Edward used the break to nap or catch up on his homework or something.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Alice asked with entirely too much energy for Edward to handle.

"Al, he just woke up, and I have no clue," I replied for the both of us.

"Well, are you still going tonight?" she asked and I nodded my head. The Tri-Delta's house was having a party and there was no way I was missing it. I missed the house even though the stairs were gonna be a bitch for me to handle. It also helped that Edward had already planned on attending with me anyway since his house didn't have an event for the night, but they were doing a dinner the next night which I wasn't invited to. That would free up some time with Alice, and maybe even Rosalie and a few of the other sister's to hang out for a bit.

"Yeah, we're going, but it's still early Alice," I finally answered and he rolled her eyes. Jasper just looked on amused though Edward seemed to be waking up bit more.

"What are you wearing tonight?" she asked next and I shrugged.

"Probably shorts and a sorority tank, I don't have much clean right now. I need to do some laundry at some point this weekend." Alice nodded her head thoughtfully before her eyes lit up. "No, no shopping today. Absolutely not, I'm not up for a mall trip yet." She looked dejected for a second, but persisted.

"Target?" she suggested, and I shrugged. I did need a few things like razors and snacks since most of my stash was gone.

"I don't like you right now," I pointed out, but she didn't seem fazed by it. "We'll go in like an hour, but how are we getting there? I don't exactly have a car to drive."

"Jasper has offered his, so I'm driving," Alice explained and I nodded.

"I can just take you guys," Edward piped up, but Alice brushed him off. "What?"

"You aren't invited," she stated seriously and gave him a face that dared him to contradict him.

"I'm not invited to Target? You realize I can drive myself, right? You don't own the store, Alice," he deadpanned and I could tell he was still in a grumpy mood. I had wished they hadn't woken him up when they got there.

"Edward," Alice said in a warning voice before walking behind her curtain with Jasper.

"Come on," I nudged him and moved to lie down. I opened my arms up and he readily put his head on my chest and pulled the blanket over us. "Sorry they woke you up."

"It's okay," he replied before moving up so that his head was near mine. He had moved his closest hand to my hair and had brushed it off my forehead before giving me a small kiss on my cheek. Any morning breathe he may have had had been masked by the food.

"It's just a shopping trip," I whispered so Alice and Jasper couldn't hear me.

"I know," he answered, but I felt like there was more. I loved Edward, I loved cuddling, I loved our dates, but if we did absolutely everything together we would drive each other insane in the end. I also felt like a lot of it stemmed from my car accident so while I was going to cut him some slack, I also knew I would be the one who would hold a stronger boundary for now.

"I'm going to miss our slumber parties tonight," I commented and he nodded his head, and right there I knew he had come to the same conclusion I had.

"Yeah, I have a lot to get done tonight after I drop you off," he said absentmindedly and I didn't doubt him for a second.

"Well, your afternoon will be free for a few hours so I hope it helps," I mentioned and he didn't respond. I waited a few minutes before I decided to say anything else. "Edward," I whispered and when he looked up at me I knew I held his attention, "I love you and I know this past week had been hell. We both have things we need to catch up on, but I'm okay. I absolutely appreciate you revolving your life around me this past week, and I just want you to know that as life goes back to normal for both of us, nothing has changed. I'm still yours, you're still mine, but we can't let our individuals things suffer, okay? I know you're still in pledge hell right now and I have to figure out a way to get more hours done so I can get through initiation. Don't forget to be the guy I feel for, okay? I'll still be here even when you need a break."

Edward had held eye contact with me the entire time I spoke and I had made sure to talk quiet enough that only he could hear me. When he leaned up to kiss my forehead I knew right then that he had heard me.

"That is why I love you," he whispered back. We laid for a few minutes before deciding to put on a movie. And, when it came time for me to go to the store with Alice he didn't complain or whine. He offered Jasper a ride home with the promise that we'd see them later as we waved back.

"He's coming along," Alice commented once we left the parking lot.

"What do you mean?" I asked a little confused as I adjusted in my seat. Unlike Edward's spacious Volvo, Jasper's car was sportier and a lot more cramped with my cast.

"Bella, I know we didn't mention this while you were in the hospital, but Edward stayed up for three days solid right after the accident. He was living on a few cat naps and a lot of energy drinks just trying to get through the day, classes, fraternity stuff," she explained as I sat dumbfounded that I didn't realize this. I had known he had run himself thin and definitely wasn't sleeping enough, but no sleep and energy drinks? I realized his residency was going to be like that, but he didn't need to do that for me. Hell, I would have given him my bed and hung out in the chair in my room had I know that.

"Wow," I finally managed to get out and Alice didn't seem too surprised by my reaction. "That is just, wow."

"You'd do the same for him I think," she eventually noted and she had a point, I probably would have.

"Yeah, I would," I agreed.

However, Alice's information had me texting Emmett for the rest of the drive.


	30. Sway

**Word Prompt:** Sway

When Monday finally rolled around I groaned as I got out of bed. Although I had gotten the chance to catch up on everything I had needed to do, it didn't make getting back to real life any easier. I preferred sleeping in and not going to class, but if I wanted to pass that obviously wasn't an option.

All of my professors had been pretty awesome about getting me my missed assignments and lectures and they all made a point to greet me when I came in. When you're sitting amongst five hundred other students, it kind of felt good to know they cared.

Rosalie was nice enough to offer me a ride to the Tri-Delta's house for my meeting with Stephanie and I was surprised by how well it went. They had been talking to those above them and came to the decision that because my hospitalization was in direct relation to my pledging, those hours would count towards my three hundred needed for pledging. Since I was in the hospital just shy of one hundred and fifty hours, it literally cut my commitment in half not counting the hours I had already gotten with socials and events. Part of me wanted to decline their offer because it seemed too generous, but I was also worried that I wouldn't be able to hit the three hundred without it so I took them without a fight. I had counted on nearly one-hundred hours coming from being a sober sister and that was obviously not an option anymore.

After our meeting I was surprised Rosalie didn't seem to be in a rush to return me back to my dorms. Instead she asked if I wanted to hang out outside for a bit, which I agreed to. She handed me a can of soda before we both sat down on the patio.

"So how are things?" she asked, and I shrugged my shoulders.

"They're okay. Everything is caught up, my classes won't suffer, and I go back next week to get the walking cast so I'll be a little more mobile," I explained. She seemed to nod her head thoughtfully.

"Do you have any plans for Thursday night?" she questioned and I shook my head.

"Emmett's mom wanted me to ask if you'd do dinner with us," Rose asked as I looked up from my soda. I had met Esme several times and she was very nice, but dinner? "I'm not sure where we're going yet, somewhere downtown I'm sure."

"Um, sure, but isn't that kind of weird?" I rambled.

"Elizabeth won't be there if that is what you're wondering," she clarified. "I meet with Esme a few times a month for lunch or dinner and we hang out. She's like a second mom to me, sometimes a few of us go, but she specifically asked for you this time so I figured I'd extend the invitation."

"Sure, that sounds fine, I'll need to tell Edward though," I explained and she chuckled.

"He won't care," she replied flippantly and for a second it almost bothered me that she had said that. Of course, I had to remind myself that Rosalie was like a sister to him but still, she knew him better and it bothered me.

"Probably not, but I'll mention it," I informed her though it didn't seem to faze her. "He told me about Kara."

"Crazy bitch from hell," she snapped with a chuckle at the end. When I just stared at her with an eyebrow up she stopped laughing and looked at me with a weird expression. "What? I didn't think you were a crazy bitch from hell."

"Then what did you think?" I flat out asked.

"I thought that Edward needed to be more responsible and I didn't want any miscommunications to lead you walking out our door that lead you to not come back," she answered.

"You picked a crappy way of ensuring that," I noted.

"I have apologized," she reminded and I nodded.

"I know, I just didn't know the story with Kara until the other night and now that I do, all I could think was wow," I relayed.

"Yeah, she was special, but she seemed really nice at first. I normally have better radar than that, but she slipped through. I think Edward's dad still lectures him over it every Thanksgiving," she told me and I cringed.

We hadn't talked about holidays yet, but maybe he'd want to drive down to Forks for Thanksgiving? My dad wouldn't lecture him; at least, I didn't think so. My parents definitely liked him, but I wasn't so sure Edward's parents were going to like me.

"Sounds like a blast," I replied sarcastically and she laughed in agreement. We talked a little bit more about pledging stuff and she made sure I knew what was going on for the week.

The sun had started to set before we both stood up to go inside when the door slide open and Edward walked out.

"Hey," he greeted before walking over to hug me.

"Hey, I didn't know you were coming over," I commented and he nodded.

"I was actually dropping something to Stephanie about homecoming and someone mentioned you were here. Do you need a ride back?" he asked and I looked over at Rosalie. She nodded her head that it was fine, and I agreed to let him drive me home.

When we got into his car I fully appreciated the extra space that I was missing in Jasper and Rosalie's sport's cars.

"Have you eaten?" he asked, and I shook my head no. "Do you want to go pick something up?"

"I'm not really in the mood to go out," I answered. I was really tired and knew I needed to take some medicine soon that was going to make me tired.

"I was thinking drive thru," he clarified as he turned a corner.

"That sounds perfect," I agreed. "How was your day?"

"It was good," he answered, but part of me didn't believe him. His tone was a little off though he looked normal. I tilted my head to the side and looked over at him. He seemed fine in Psychology earlier before we left each other for the afternoon. He had a meeting he had to get to so I ate lunch with Alice instead.

"Okay," I finally accepted when I realized he'd tell me if he wanted to. "Rosalie invited me to dinner on Thursday night with your aunt, is that okay?"

"Sure," he said with his eyes still on the road. It was pretty obvious that his focus was not on me in that moment so I decided to just face forward and relax for the time being. I didn't like the wall he was putting up, but I knew that if he needed space me pushing was just going to hurt us in the end.

When he pulled up to McDonalds I ordered my regular and placed everything down on the floor board as we drove back to campus. I had switched the bags so his stuff was in one and mine in the other, but when I opened my purse to stuff the bag in, Edward looked over at me like I was nuts.

"What?" I asked quizzically.

"I'll help you get to your room, Bella," he informed me before the light turned green for him to turn towards the parking lot. And, while I appreciated the gesture I wasn't sure that was such a great idea. If he was going to be in a sour mood, I had a feeling I'd do something to annoy him or vice versa and the last thing I wanted to do was pick a fight right then.

"It's okay, I can manage," I tried to excuse, but he didn't answer. When he parked the car, he immediately got out to start helping me. I could feel anger bubbling up at him for ignoring my request, but I tried to take a deep breathe to calm myself.

When we got to my door I figured he would just leave there, but he walked inside and started setting everything down on my desk. Alice's wrote on the white board that she was at the library, so it was just us.

"Are you mad at me?" I finally asked once I had sat down on my bed.

"No, why would you think I'm mad at you?" Edward almost seemed offended that I had asked.

"I don't know, you seemed happy to see me at the Tri house and then we get in the car and you become like a stone statue. I figured I did something or you're mad about the dinner or something," I explained.

"What dinner?" he asked as I smacked my head.

"Rosalie asked me to go to dinner with your aunt," I reminded him, but his face showed nothing.

"Oh, I don't care about that," he muttered but looked down uncomfortably. I was trying really hard to be patient, in fact, harder than I would have with anyone else, but he was grating on my nerves. "I'm not mad at you," he finally said, "I just had it out with my dad, again, and I guess it's starting to catch up."

I nodded my head and breathed a sigh of relief that his mood shift didn't have to do with me, but still wondered why he hadn't just said that earlier.

"Why don't you just eat here, since you brought everything in, and you can tell me about it?" I pointed at my bag and he brought it over to me before shedding his shoes and climbing in next to me. I normally hated eating in my bed, but I didn't have enough energy to care at that moment.

"He brought up medical school again," Edward started to explain. "He's not happy at my change of plans, I guess. I'm already a disappointment in his eyes, so I guess this was another nail in the coffin or something."

"What do you mean? What changes?" He hadn't mentioned anything to me regarding school, but I also realized we hadn't been dating that long so there were still things we were learning.

"When I first started getting applications for med school, I was pretty set on going out east," Edward went on, "He's not happy that I'm looking at staying locally now."

"Why would that upset him?" I snapped immediately. That seemed like a stupid thing to gripe over.

"The schools out east are more precious I guess, if I couldn't be a lawyer, at least he could brag about Dartmouth or Harvard or something," he replied, though my mind was still putting things together.

"You're applying here because of me," I finally said after a second. I faced away from him almost in shock that I hadn't picked that up originally. "Your dad must hate me by now."

"I don't think he hates you," Edward informed me, "But he's disappointed in me. I don't really care normally, it's just…" His voice trailed off and he looked away.

The Edward I knew had always been so sure and confident in himself that it was almost difficult to watch him get emotional. He wasn't crying, but I could just see the pain in his face. Deep down, he wanted his father to be proud of him, and I think Edward was realizing that that may never happen. I really didn't look forward to meeting that man, his son wanted to be a doctor, a freaking Pediatrician at that, and I had no idea how anyone could ever look down on that. While words failed me, I knew I could let my comfort speak instead.

We had both been picking at our food by that point so I put everything on the floor before pulling Edward down on my bed. He didn't say anything, but he also didn't resist me. It was awkward trying to be the dominant one with my cast, but I managed after a second to get onto my side so that my face was over his.

When my lips met his, he didn't respond immediately, but he didn't push me away. I moved one of my hands to the back of his neck while using the other to prop myself up. Once Edward had started to move with me, he attempted to push up to put me on my back, but I resisted though our lips never came apart. We had probably laid there for a good five minutes just kissing before I finally pulled back completely to look down at him.

"I love you," I whispered quietly as I held his eyes.

"And, that is all I need," he whispered back as I curled into his side. "I'm sorry I didn't just tell you sooner."

"It's okay," I replied as his heart thumped under my ear. "You do realize though that you can still go to those places if you want, we'll make it work." Even though I said the words, I didn't like them, but I didn't want to be the only reason his plans had swayed.

"Life changes Bella, and with those changes, you adjust," he answered. "I know we could, but I don't want to. I finally realized the only reasons I was looking so far away was to get away from my dad and not to step into my uncle's shadow. I guess I always counted on him being happy with me one time in my life, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen, and my uncle and I share different last names so that'll help."

"Why is that?" I questioned. "I've always wondered since your dad and uncle are brothers."

"When Carlisle met Esme, her parents had recently passed aaway and they were both only children. Esme was an only child, so the last name Cullen was going to stop with her. When she explained to my uncle how much that bothered her he offered to change his name from Carlisle Masen to Carlisle Cullen when they got married, and then they had Emmett and he'll pass on the name with his kids."

"That was admiral, it wasn't so common back then," I noted.

"No, it wasn't and my dad thought he was insane, but so did my grandfather. My uncle didn't seem to care and what made Esme happy made him happy so he put up with the comments, and it's been so long now, it never comes up. Besides, my parents had me and obviously I'll pass on the Masen name so it's not really a big deal," Edward answered like it was nothing, though I did notice his own assumption. However, I did know the Swan name didn't end with me. My dad had a brother, though they were estranged for some unknown reason, he had several children who would pass on the name.

"Makes sense," I finally replied too tired to really think much of it.

"How many kids do you think you want, anyway?" Edward asked randomly and I chuckled against him at how random it really was.

"I don't really know. I was an only child, and I really don't want to do that to my own kid, so two, maybe three. My mom always told me that I'd know I was done when I was done, so whenever I feel done, why? You don't want a football team do you, because if so, well that isn't going to work," I teased as looked up at him.

"Definitely two, I agree on the only child thing, at least I had Emmett though. My aunt and uncle would have had more if they could, but my parents voluntarily stopped after me. So, I guess about the same, but no football team. I'm pretty sure Em wants that many though." He laughed.

"Poor Rosalie," I lamented with another laugh. "At least they'll get a family discount when one of them is sick."

"That is true, I wonder if Emmett is counting on that," he joked back.

"I like hearing you laugh," I told him with a smile.

"I like it when you make me laugh," he replied more serious than I had been. His hand came up to brush some hair behind my ear and I looked down as heat overtook my cheeks. "You're amazing, you know that."

"Well, I try," I replied before kissing him on the lips and lying back against his side. "Do you have to go back tonight?"

"No," he answered immediately.

"Then, don't leave," I stated and took a breath of his cologne in.

"Okay."

We didn't stay up much longer and I hadn't even remembered Alice coming home. All thoughts of his dad's disappointment were gone, instead I thought about my plans for Edward and how I needed to move the timeline up a bit.

**I'm tired, but I hope you enjoy this. I know it's moving slower, but I promise time will speed up eventually. Any thoughts on how that dinner with go? I'll give you a hint, it won't be Cullen party of 3 ;p **


	31. Panic

**Word Prompt:** Panic

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know Esme picked a pretty casual restaurant so a dress and leggings will be fine," Rosalie told me over the phone after I had called in a panic over what to wear. It wasn't every day that I went out to dinner with my boyfriend's aunt, and I wanted to impress her a little. The last time I saw her I was covered in bruises and stuck in a hospital bed, though I still had a few bruises.

"Okay, cool, and you're picking me up in an hour right?" I clarified just to make sure I wouldn't be running later. Rosalie told me yes and we got off the phone.

Alice was in the room and already pulling out a combo for me to wear. I had already showered and was now trying to get it to do something beyond lay flat.

"Let me," Alice offered as I sat down to let her work.

Thursday's were a busy day for me with classes so I had to rush back from my last class to get ready and I felt a little off balance, of course, the cast wasn't helping. A few more days and I'd be in the walking boot, and I never thought I'd be looking forward to that day, but I was.

Things with Edward had turned for the best after Monday night and it seemed like a weight had somehow been lifted off of him. When I saw him Wednesday he was far happier and even more touchy feely than normal. I wasn't sure exactly what had gotten into him, but I wasn't going to complain and he actually did seem excited that I was going out with Rose and Esme. When I asked about meeting his mom he sort of shrugged and said he felt she was taking his dad's side so he was in no rush. Fearing a slip from his happy attitude I didn't press any further and knew I'd eventually have to meet them, hopefully later rather than sooner.

Alice had managed to curl half of my hair while putting up the other half, though getting the dress over my head took a little bit of work so none of the pins got snagged. I couldn't wait until I didn't have to stretch all of my leggings to fit over a cast and wondered how many I'd have to replace by the end of all my leg drama. Once I went into the walking boot I knew I'd be looking at physical therapy at least once or twice a week and I was not looking forward to that part.

I decided on light make-up and tossed Alice my phone once I was done so she could take a picture. I did a cheesy smile and then texted it to Edward. He was doing something with the ASP pledges tonight so I didn't expect an immediate reply, but my cell phone still alerted a few seconds later.

'_Have Rose drop you off at the house when you're done. Love you, you look gorgeous as always.-Edward'_

'_Love you too, don't kill any pledges tonight.-Bella'_

'_I'll try.-Edward'_

"You look awesome Bella, if I do say so myself," Alice said with a smug attitude. I tried not to roll my eyes, but I couldn't help it. I definitely looked a little more polished than normal, but it would make my mom proud at least.

Things with my parents had definitely changed after they went back to Forks. I did start talking to them more often and it was nowhere near as stressful because I was no longer hiding a huge secret. My mom had even asked about how things were going and that was huge.

When Rosalie showed up a bit later I used my crutches to get out to her car, but was surprised when she had Edward's Volvo.

"Figured you'd prefer the space," she said without me asking, and I just nodded. It looked like I'd have to go to the ASP house regardless so they could switch vehicles back. "So, don't be nervous, Esme really is awesome."

"I'm not nervous per say," I tried to explain though I wasn't really sure how to explain my nerves. "I think I'm more anxious, she seemed really nice when I met her in the hospital."

"She's a doll," Rose announced, "I clicked with her the first time I met her and spent more time at their house in high school than I did at my own."

"They were pretty open parents then?" I asked wondering what that would be like. If a guy came over my dad pretty much had a gun locked and loaded.

"I don't necessarily think of them as open, blissfully naïve maybe? They didn't ask questions, but I know Emmett would get lectures on wrapping it as his dad would say," she informed me with a laugh. "I never had to sit through those talks, thankfully."

"Yeah, that would have been awkward as hell," I agreed with her.

"Besides, protection and all that is pretty much common sense," she brushed off and I just shrugged. I didn't exactly have to worry about that anytime soon so I didn't see the need to comment. "It is common sense, right, Bella?"

"Of course," I finally answered her, "Just not a current priority of mine."

"What?" she snapped and I realized she had assumed way too much with this conversation.

"We don't need it," I replied cryptically without blatantly saying I hadn't slept with her boyfriend's cousin.

"Oh," she said a lot quieter that time, "Oh, you mean, oh wow. Okay, never mind."

"I like the never mind part of that sentence," I agreed and let the subject drop moments before she parked in front of a small café in downtown Seattle.

Esme was already waiting inside for us as the hostess showed us to the table.

"Bella, dear, thank you for coming," she greeted me with a hug that I eagerly returned.

"Thank you for inviting me," I returned as we took our seats.

"Of course, I can't tell you how excited I am that you agreed to come. I think of Edward more like a son than a nephew, so getting to know you is very important to me," she relayed as I smiled.

"I'm glad to know I've been replaced," Rosalie interjected with a laugh as Esme rolled her eyes.

"As if you're replaceable, Rosalie," Esme brushed off with an eye roll, "Besides, if we got rid of you, who would put up with Emmett? There isn't another woman on this planet that can keep him in check like you, my dear."

"Very true," Rosalie agreed.

Watching her act so young was slightly amusing and getting to know her was also a treat. She asked about the town I grew up in, what my parents did, and how I liked Seattle and the UW campus. Rosalie and I talked about some sorority stuff, and that was when I learned Esme was a Tri-Delta sister when she was in college. I asked Rosalie if that had any influence on why she chose it and she was in between.

Our waitress was very attentive with our drinks and our appetizer didn't take too long before it hit the table, but right as Esme went to hand me one of the plates next to her, her hand froze. With my cast it was hard to look behind me, but I managed to see what had drawn her attention so quickly.

If it wasn't for the hair I would have never realized who she was so fast, but even with a pleasant smile on her face, I still heard Esme huff under her breath as she neared.

"Elizabeth, I didn't know we were expecting you," Esme greeted her sister-in-law with a bright smile that was less than genuine.

"Oh, well, I didn't expect to see you here, I saw Edward's car and figured I'd catch him," she lied like a true lawyer. I knew for a fact Edward had talked to his mother yesterday and had told her he had a pledge event. "Is there any room for me? You must be Bella," she greeted as she turned to me.

"I am," I replied though I made no move to get up or really greet her.

"You don't seem happy to see me dear," her eyes narrowed as the words tumbled from her mouth.

"I don't really care if you stay or not, but you're taking the heat from your son. You knew he wasn't here tonight so I'm not sure why you bothered lying about it," I spoke confidently and meant every word I said.

"Well, you are a feisty one are you not," she mused with a smirk.

"Not really, I just dislike liars," I corrected with a smile.

"Since you're here anyway, just sit down before you cause more of a scene Liz," Esme finally interjected and Elizabeth took the seat next to her. She then called the waitress over to order a Mimosa.

When I looked over at Rosalie I wasn't sure how to read her face. She seemed surprised, if not a bit shocked, but I wasn't sure why; maybe my outburst at my potential future mother-in-law or Elizabeth's audacity to invite herself to our dinner.

"So, tell me about yourself Bella," Elizabeth prompted as I just stared on. "Surely you're not going to be rude to me the entire time I'm here are you?"

"What exactly do you want to know?" I asked before taking a bit of the spinach dip we had ordered for an appetizer.

"Well, I know you're in school here and that you're from a small town a few hours away, but that is about it," she explained. "How about your major, what is that?"

"Psychology," I answered and took another bite. I didn't offer up any other details and waited for the next question.

"What do your parents do?" Elizabeth asked next.

"My mom is a psychiatrist, my father is the police chief of our town," I replied; again, not offering anything else up.

"Where do you see yourself in ten years?" She smirked a little expecting me to spill all of my hopes and aspirations, but two could play this game.

"Married, pregnant, buying a house, and being in practice," I responded and Esme stifled a laugh as Rosalie just stared on.

"You should be a lawyer," Elizabeth remarked.

"I'll pass," I immediately snapped while keeping the smile on my face.

"Elizabeth, I didn't invite the poor girl out for a round of twenty questions," Esme interrupted though Elizabeth didn't take her eyes off me.

"Well, I don't understand why you get to invite her places, and I can't," Elizabeth challenged, but Esme didn't reply.

"Stop choosing the wrong side," I answered the obvious question as she blinked at me in surprise.

In truth, I wasn't sure where my confidence was coming from. I was traditionally known as a people pleaser, but something about Elizabeth crashing our dinner just pissed me off. She knew Edward was upset with her, she knew he wasn't here tonight, and yet I somehow felt like she was trying to get close to me to get closer to him. What she probably wasn't counting on was the fact that she was as transparent as a window and I wasn't budging. If Edward wasn't ready to bring me home to meet his parents yet, I wasn't going to be the one to force his hand.

"Maybe I should just go," Elizabeth offered and while Esme opened her mouth, I assumed to brush her off, I beat her to it.

"I think that's a good idea," I agreed. "I don't mean to be rude, but your son obviously has his reasons for why he turned your dinner invite down. I'm not going to let you use me to try and earn his forgiveness and I'm certainly not going to knowingly go against his wishing. Whether you like me or hate me, I love your son, and I care very deeply about his feelings and how he's treating. It was disrespectful to him to show up tonight, and not only have you put me in a very awkward position; you'll now have him to answer to as well."

Elizabeth huffed, but didn't say another word before leaving. I could see that she wanted to, hell, I still had things I would have loved to say, but I didn't. I was also pretty certain that I would never have a good relationship with his parents, but if he didn't care about that, I didn't need to either.

When I looked over at Rosalie her mouth was wide open and Esme's facial expression wasn't much better. The waitress chose that moment to come up with our food, and I was dying to dig in. I hadn't had much to eat at lunch and I was starving.

"Bella," Rosalie started and I looked over at her. "I don't even know what to say to that."

"What?" I questioned like it was nothing, even though I knew it wasn't.

"She has always scared me," she admitted and I smirked.

"What have they done now?" Esme asked, and I shrugged. Again, where did the line get drawn between privacy and family information?

"His dad doesn't like his career choice, but I don't think that is new," I replied without giving away much detail.

"That's an understatement," Rosalie commented as Esme nodded in agreement.

"Carlisle said he was applying locally for medical school?" she questioned, and I nodded. "Well, that's probably it. I love my husband, but his brother is just, well he's just something."

As we started eating our meals our conversation slowly started to shift away from Elizabeth and more onto different things coming up. Of course, homecoming was around the corner and while I'd have a walking boot, there was no way I was missing all of the events. Edward had officially asked me to be his date to the ASP semi-formal they were holding in downtown the night of the game and I was excited to dress up. Of course, several of the Tri-Delta sister's would be in attendance too so I knew I'd know a lot of people there. They had the Four Seasons rented out along with quite a few hotel rooms.

Esme said her goodbyes to us at Rosalie's car and made a point to give me her number in case I ever wanted to call and chat. She also told me that I had a standing invite whenever she and Rose got together and that I needed to visit the house soon.

Once in Rosalie's car, I made a comment about dropping me off at the ASP house.

"Are you trying to get to him before Elizabeth does?" Rosalie asked, but I said no.

"No, he asked when I texted him a picture of my outfit if I'd come over," I informed her. "But, I guess it would help if I got to him first. I'm pretty sure I've screwed any chance of her liking me, but at least I'll have Esme, right?"

"I'm still not sure what to say to any of that. On one hand, yes, you probably did, but on the other, her face was priceless. I have never seen Elizabeth at a loss for words and she's normally the nicer of the two. However, if you can handle Elizabeth like that, I have no doubts you'll put Senior in his place soon," she hedged, but I really wasn't looking forward to meeting him. "And, you better make sure I'm there when you do."

"Enough about tonight, is a black cocktail dress okay for the semi-formal?" I asked.

"Eh, yes, but you may want to go a tad bit dressier. Not like ball gown formal, but all of the guys will be in ties and slacks, and you'd look better in blue," she replied, and I nodded.

"Dress shopping it is," I announced more to myself than her.

"We can go this weekend if you want, I actually need a new dress too," she replied, and I agreed, and figured we'd invite Alice too. "Plus we need to get supplies for next week, we have a different theme for everyday of spirit week."

"So, true," I agreed.

It wasn't long before we were walking up to the ASP door. The guys had just wrapped up their own event so I waited for Edward with Rosalie, even though Emmett was already down talking to us.

"She crashed your dinner?" Emmett seemed surprised and I nodded. Edward came around the corner obviously oblivious to our conversation so I figured Rosalie could fill Emmett in while I talked to Edward.

"Hey, babe," he whispered in my ear before pulling me in for a tight hug.

"You two are so darn…" Emmett tried to finish, but I shot him a glare. "You're right, maybe not today. Oh, Edward before I forget, had dad talked to you?"

"No, why?" he asked, and for a second I was confused until I realized Emmett meant Carlisle not Edward's dad.

"He's off Sunday," Emmett announced like that meant something.

"What time?" Edward questioned with a slight groan behind his voice.

"Nine thirty, brunch after, just the usual," he explained like I had any idea what the hell they were talking about. Rosalie groaned when Emmett said the time, so I knew she knew what the hell was going on, but I'd ask Edward later.

"Alright," Edward agreed before they said goodbye and walked off.

Once they were gone, he leaned down to give me a quick kiss.

"How was dinner?" he asked as I smiled brightly.

"Can you leave?" I questioned ignoring his question.

"Yes, why?" He eyed me suspiciously.

"Because I want to go back to my place," I replied as his eyes narrowed.

"Bella, how did dinner go with my aunt?" Edward asked a little more forcefully.

"Dinner with your aunt was wonderful," I told him honestly, and he sighed a bit in relief. "Dinner with your mom was really awkward though. So, my place?"

**I'm still tired, but it's looking like an all nighter. If the grammar sucks, well, I wrote it in like an hour and I suck at editing that quickly after. Hope you enjoy it :) **


	32. Company

**Word Prompt**: Company

Needless to say, it didn't take much to get Edward to drive me to my dorm room. I already knew Alice had plans for the night so she wouldn't be back until later and I felt like we needed our own space when we talked about his mother's drop in visit.

Edward was somewhat patient as he drove and didn't push until the door had been shut and I was sitting down on my bed. I was starting to realize a lot of our serious conversations seemed to happen in bed; it was almost becoming our thing.

"My mother showed up?" he asked, and I nodded.

I then gave him an abridged version of what happened, what she asked, how Esme acted, how I responded, and so forth. Edward sat quietly through it all as I explained; only moving to interrupt me once before I put my finger on his lips. He tried to distract me with a kiss, but I pressed forward until I was done and pretty much out of breath.

"That isn't exactly the story I was expecting," Edward admitted with a puzzled look on his face. "So, let me get this straight, my mom shows up uninvited and you basically ran her away from the table?"

"I guess you could put it that way, but I don't know if I was trying to make her run," I clarified. He tilted his head thoughtfully though his features still showed confusion.

"But, she actually ran though, I mean she left?" His tone was almost disbelief mixed with some confusion.

"Yeah, she said she thought she should go and I told her I agreed. Then she left," I answered, and this time instead of asking me another question he actually smiled.

"You ran off my mom," he stated factually with a smirk that always stopped me dead in my tracks.

"I did, I'm sorry," I apologized and cringed a bit unsure how I should really react.

"Don't be sorry, she shouldn't have shown up. I don't think I've ever seen anyone, except maybe my dad, who could run my mother off before, I almost wished I was there," he joked with a laugh.

"Well, Rosalie said she always scared her, but she didn't seem that scary. I can't believe she told me I should be a lawyer," I mused with an eye roll.

"I can't believe you told her you'd pass." This time he actually did crack up laughing, and I tried not to roll my eyes at him. "I'm sorry, but to be a fly on the wall, if I didn't love you before, well you just sealed your fate."

"My fate, huh?" I teased as I moved to straddle his lap. My doctor would probably shoot me dead if she saw all the positions I was able to get into with my cast, but he did tell me that I could do anything unless it caused pain…and, straddling Edward, caused me no pain. At least, nothing a Tylenol couldn't fix. "I happen to like that fate." I pressed my lips to his as he gently rolled my body to my back. When his lips trailed from my lips to my neck I moaned a little as my chest rose up.

"Jesus, Bella," He breathed next to me and I knew he was stopping, and I momentarily hated him for it.

It took me a minute before my breathing leveled out all while he smirked from above. Jerk. He was also so much more composed than I was.

"Speaking of fate, I forgot to tell you the best question of all," I informed him still a bit dazed from his kisses. "She asked me where I thought I'd be in ten years."

"Seriously?" he asked with a horrified look on his face. I nodded my head to let him know I was dead serious and he cringed some more. "Dare I ask what you came up with for that one?" He lowered his head onto my chest and it almost looked like he was hiding. From what I had been told, my mother put on a pretty embarrassing stunt when they first arrived, so I really didn't feel so bad that Edward got to sit in my shoes for a little bit.

"Let's see I said married, pregnant, buying a house, and in practice," I replied and he slowly snuck up to look at me. "What? It was the best I had."

"I happen to like your ten year plan," Edward informed me before he started to kiss me again. I almost reminded him that the second thing couldn't happen without sex, but I figured it might annoy him. "I'm not sure I tell you enough exactly how amazing you are."

"You tell me plenty," I muttered under my breath as he kissed up my jawline. "But, before I forget, because you're really good at that, what does your uncle being off work on Sunday mean?"

"It means that I'm going to church," he answered despite never fully stopping his lips from inching closer to my lips.

"I see," I replied not sure what else I was supposed to say. I guess that made sense, though it seemed like a tradition or something the way Emmett talked about it.

"My uncle typically takes the weekend shifts now that they don't have any kids in the house, so when my uncle is off we all go because it makes him feel better," Edward went on to explain. I still hadn't said anything before he asked, "Do you want to come?"

"Um," I stuttered out briefly confused. Edward pulled away from me for a second to look at my face and it was so hard not to get lost in his eyes.

"You don't have to," he said quickly. "You won't offend me if you don't want to. The service is in the morning and then we go to their house for lunch. Sometimes it turns into dinner; it really just depends on their plans."

"No, it's just," I explained as my mind started to come back to me. "I just wasn't expecting the invite. I want to go, it'll be fun."

"Okay," he accepted without question and we started kissing again. The tension in my body, by the time we finished, was almost enough to make me explode, but it didn't make me want to stop either.

Edward stayed over, but left early Friday morning and I was pretty sad to admit I hadn't seen much of him since. He was busy doing fraternity stuff and I was busy doing sorority stuff, but what I was excited for was shopping on Saturday.

Rosalie, Alice, Grace, and Natalie had all decided to come with me to shop for homecoming. Rosalie didn't like my original dress that I had for the ASP semi and I needed to find a pair of dress flats that would work with a walking boot. We were also having a theme party that I Alice and I needed to find outfits for since we were supposed to be going as twins. And, I needed to find some new pants that would work with the walking boot. Since I could take it off and on to get dressed I figured dresses and leggings or tunics and skinny jeans were going to be my best friend over the winter.

"Look Bella," Alice called my attention as I moved over to her. "These are cute." She held up a black pair of flats with rhinestones and I shrugged.

"Do they have any in brown?" I asked, and we both looked around before finding a pair that I liked. In the end, I ended up with seven pairs of flats ranging from brown to silver. Alice seemed pleased with my choices, and I was too.

It didn't take long for us to find the dress section of Macy's as we all took off on our own finding different things we liked. I had remembered Rosalie's comment from earlier about buying something blue, but I had been busy looking at a green dress when she approached.

"What size do you wear?" Rosalie asked, and I told her a five. She nodded and walked off before coming back with a floor length blue dress. "What do you think?" She held it up for me to look at.

"It's gorgeous," I blurted out, "But isn't it a little dressier than needed?"

"Not really, and the length will cover your boot," she explained and I nodded. The body was very flowy and wouldn't constrict my walking at all, which had posed a bit of a challenge with some of the other dresses I liked.

"I'll try it on," I told her and she nodded. I had already given the sales lady a few dresses I wanted to try on, so Rosalie put it in the same pile before looking at dresses with me side-by-side.

"What type of dress are you looking for?" I asked to make conversation, but Rosalie just kind of shrugged. I had thought she had a dress, but she seemed to like shopping so I wasn't too surprised she came.

"I'm browsing more than shopping," she admitted and I chuckled.

"After I pick out a dress, I need to see what casual clothes they have, this cast thing is a pain in the ass," I admitted and she chuckled.

"I'm sure we can find something for you," she informed me. "What do you typically wear?"

"When it's cold, I typically stick to jeans, but that is going to get old," I explained. "So I was thinking some dresses and leggings, tunics and jeans, maybe a few longer sweaters to pair with either."

"You have the body for it," she noted as I shot her a wayward glance.

"So do you," I shot back. Rosalie was much taller than me, but equally as small. She couldn't wear any higher than a five, maybe at a seven because of her hips.

"Not really, I'm too tall to pull off a lot of those looks," she replied back and moved to turn look at another rack. Her hand came up as she played with her necklace and for a second, I stood still and stared. Of course, Alice hadn't taken off the lavalier Jasper had given her since the day she got it, but this was actually the first time I ever saw one on Rosalie. I had assumed she had one, but it did make me envious for a brief second. I had stood still for a second longer than I meant to and Rosalie caught me eyeing her.

"What?" she asked, as I snapped out of my daze.

"Nothing, I just hadn't seen that necklace before," I tried to brush off quickly and turned to look at the dresses in front of me.

"Yeah, I don't wear it all the time. Emmett actually gave it to me about an hour after her went through initiation, it wasn't very ceremonious, I wore it a lot more then," she explained, and I nodded to show I was paying attention. "I'm surprised you don't have one."

"I'm not," I blurted back and turned to look at her. Rosalie looked very confused by my statement and asked what I meant. "I'm pretty sure a lavalier to Edward is like the equivalent of an engagement ring. He just takes things really serious, that's why it doesn't surprise me."

"I hadn't really thought about it that way, but you're definitely right. Now that I think of it, I don't think he's ever given anyone one," Rosalie informed me. "Have you asked him?"

"No," I snapped immediately. "I don't want one just because he thinks I expect one. If he ever gives me one I'll know its meaning, I'm just trying to be patient, in more ways than one." I winked at her to show I wasn't snapping because I was angry, more surprised that she'd think I'd ask about something so sacred to him. It seemed like the tradition was held more closely to some than others, and Edward was definitely on the conservative side of that coin.

"Yeah, I can't say that part surprises me," she replied. "After what he went through with the whole Kara ordeal, I almost expected him to enter on a monastery or something equally as extreme."

"Well, I'm thankful he didn't go that far." I laughed at the thought of Edward in a monks outfit before decided I had found as many dresses as I was going to find there and decided it was time to try stuff on.

My first pick was the red one, but it just didn't fit me right. It was cute and a bit flashy, but the back was too tight in one spot yet too open at the waist. Instantly, I passed.

I liked the green dress; it fit me correctly, accented my better areas, and hit my knee which was the original length I was going for. I was tempted to take a picture of myself in the mirror and text Edward with it, but decided I should try on the blue dress first.

It wasn't that I didn't value Rosalie's opinion, because I did, but at first glance the blue dress was far dressier than I wanted it to be. The halter style had beading that followed up and each side of the straps, then trailed down to accent under my chest, and the empire waist flowed down from there. The material was silkier than I had been looking at, but once I got it on I realized it was more breathable than I had assumed it'd be. In truth, it fit me like a glove; I turned around to see the back and realized I really did love it. I bent down to pull out my phone and snapped a picture using the huge mirror. It wasn't the greatest and I had to kick my pants under the bench to ensure Edward wouldn't get a peek at the thong I was wearing, but I texted it to him with the words 'yay or nay?'

I was half way through changing back into my normal clothes when my phone rang, and while I wanted to ignore it, I looked to see it was Edward. I sat down on the bench and answered, "Hello."

"Is that for the formal?" Edward asked without a greeting.

"I was thinking about it," I replied with a smirk. "I had another dress too, I hadn't decided."

"You should get the one you just showed me," he informed me and I realized his voice was a little lower than I was used to.

"So you liked it?" I asked.

"Yes, Bella, I really, really, really like it," he answered.

"But, you haven't seen the green one," I teased. "And, green is my favorite color."

"I like the blue one," he stated evenly. "Please get the blue one."

"Okay, you win," I conceded knowing I was getting under his skin. "You could have texted me back though, you didn't have to call."

"I wanted to hear your voice, they're not running you ragged right?" he questioned in a much lighter tone than he had when I answered.

"Oh, they're fine, I think someone is going to run out to the car to drop bags off and then we'll hit the food court for lunch. I miss you too, by the way," I told him.

We hung up a few minutes later and I finished getting dressed.

"So?" Rosalie asked with Alice by her side. They were both holding the stuff they wanted to buy in their hnds.

"Blue wins," I replied and hung up the other two on the discard rack.

Rosalie seemed pleased with my choice and for a second I wondered if she knew something I didn't. Of course, I hadn't thought of that when Edward was on the phone with me, but I decided not to ask. She already seemed up to something anyway, and if Edward was planning something than I preferred the surprise. After lunch we hit up a few more stores, and Alice and I found our twins outfits. Of course, the irony was that she was about six inches shorter than me, but it didn't really matter. I also managed to find enough stuff to wear around a cast or boot that Natalie and Alice both had to carry bags for me since I still had my crutches. In the end, I spent well over a thousand dollars that I hadn't originally thought I'd be spending, but it would be well worth it. Now, I just needed to make a hair appointment and I'd be set for the formal.

I didn't get back to my dorm room until it was close to dinner time and Alice only helped me get in before showering, changing, and leaving. She had plans with Jasper and I had plans to sleep, though I did wonder when ASP planned on charging her dues because she seemed to sleep there more than she did the dorms.

I grabbed a quick shower and changed into PJs before popping a bag of popcorn and sitting down to watch a movie. The bags from shopping were still strewn around my side of the room, but I decided I didn't care enough to clean it up. Edward was picking me up really early the next morning and I was exhausted from spending so much time at the mall. Crutches were no joke.

About five minutes into the movie there was a knock on my door. As much as I wanted to scream for the person to just come in, I wasn't expecting anybody and that always creeped me out. It was one thing to expect company, but for someone to just drop in was weird to me.

Of course, as I hobbled to the door I expected to see Natalie, maybe Edward, or someone along those lines, I hadn't really anticipated opening it up to find Elizabeth Masen standing in front of me.

**Sorry it's late and sorry for the cliffy. This weekend I had a bake sale for my eldest's cheer team and then had to rush to a town an hour away for a military appreciation day. What I had expected to be a few hour adventure turned into an overnight thing because of a free hotel room at a local resort-how could we say no to that? We got back early this morning, but tomorrow I'll be writing after my daughter's cheer practice. Hope everyone had a great weekend!**


	33. Awesome

**Word Prompt**: Awesome

Well, wasn't that just awesome. I had dressed down into an oversized t-shirt that Edward had left behind one night and thrown on a pair of sleep shorts. Elizabeth Masen, however, was dressed in a fitted dress and heels. She looked like a vision of beauty, I looked really frumpy and that was exactly how I wanted to be for the next time I sparred with her. Yeah! Not.

"Oh," she muttered quietly as I hobbled back to open my door a bit wider. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect…"

"Expect me to be in bed?" I supplied, and she nodded her head.

"Well, I guess, yeah, it's still…" She looked down at her watch and then back up again. "I was actually going to see if you'd have dinner with me, but obviously you're not dress for that."

"Obviously," I noted not really sure what to do next. How did she even know where I lived? "Would you like to come in?" I offered to be polite. She accepted and stepped inside. "Excuse the bags, I spent all day at the mall and was too tired to get everything put away."

Her eyes seem to roam from one side of the room to the other, though Alice's curtain was up so one half of the room was full blocked.

"Alice lived over there." I pointed to her side, "Though she'll probably be moving back upstairs in a few weeks."

I grabbed the remote to turn the TV off and pulled my desk chair out for her to sit. I was thankful my bed was more raised than my old one, because I was able to sit around the same level as she was.

"I'm sorry, standing is really exhausting right now, but there isn't much to show here," I apologized, though I wasn't even sure why. Part of me was tempted to text Edward immediately, but the other part of me wanted to know why she was here first.

"You must have been busy," she commented as she stared at the hill of bags.

"Yeah," I explained, "Between having to re-do my whole wardrobe around a cast and a few events coming up, I think I spent more time shopping today than I have in the past six months."

"Shopping isn't a hobby then?" she asked and for a second I was a bit taken back. Her tone was friendly, but I felt like there was an undertone she was hiding.

"Not particularly, I'm pretty low maintenance in that department," I answered bluntly, but carefully. She was a lawyer and I had obviously beaten her at her own game on our first meeting, yet now I had a feeling she had come more prepared to deal with my snappy remarks.

"So you're not after my son's money," she remarked off handedly and it took all I had not to laugh. First, because the last thing I asked a guy I wanted to date was how much his bank account held, and second, because whatever money Edward had or didn't have I knew nothing about.

"What money?" I decided dumb and naïve might suit me for this particular question. When her eyes widened and she looked at me with a shocked expression I knew I had won. She just stared for a few extra seconds before composing herself. "Look, you obviously wanted to talk to me and I'm obviously in no shape to go to dinner. And, against my better judgmental, my first action was not to text your son to tell him you were here. So, I can order something in, if you're like, and you can give me your version of twenty questions or whatever it is that you want to know. I may answer you, I may not, but if you're going to treat me like a gold digging piece of trash you know where the door is. I love your son for the person he is, not because of what he does or doesn't have, not because of his chosen career, or even what fraternity he decided to join. I don't particularly care what friends he has, or the car he drives, or the gifts he buys. I care about him and if that means nothing to you, or doesn't mean enough to you, I don't foresee this conversation or really, any conversation between us ending well."

"You're incredibly outspoken for your age," Elizabeth finally replied a full minute after I stopped talking. Her eye contact averted from me as she looked around my room before looking back at me.

"You should meet my mother," I rebutted and she actually laughed. I never thought I'd see that day after my initial meeting with her, but apparently pigs really could fly. "Delivery is pretty much limited to pizza or Chinese, which would you prefer?" I asked and grabbed my cell phone. I wasn't incredibly hungry, so I only added a side of sweet and sour chicken and fried rice to Elizabeth's order. I lifted the table cloth from my round nightstand to reveal a mini refrigerator and offered her a drink. Thankfully I had recently stocked it though she only asked for a bottle of water.

I attempted to get comfortable on my bed, but it was a futile effort.

"So, what do you want to know?" I prompted.

"Everything," Elizabeth supplied though I sighed. Everything was going to be pretty long, so I abridged the town I grew up in, more on what my parents did, my childhood, and a bit more about myself on campus.

About twenty minutes into her visit there was another knock on my door and thankfully that person just brought food. Though Elizabeth attempted to stand up and even pulled out her own wallet to pay the delivery guy I just stared at her daring her to cut me off. I handed the guy some cash and told him to keep the change, before setting the bag down, grabbing my two things, and leaving the rest for her.

"You didn't have to do that, I had planned on treating you," she tried to explain, but I shrugged.

"Your son isn't the only person with money apparently, and you're here as my guest so I buy," I answered, and I could tell she wanted to push but didn't.

I had pretty much answered everything question she had asked though I was honestly shocked that most of her questions were surface questions. She didn't touch anything personal, didn't ask about religion, or even political affiliations, in which case, I probably wouldn't have been so quick to answer. Though I did expect her to break out with a 'what are my intentions with her son' a time or two, but even those questions were kept at bay for the rest of the night. Overall, it was bearable.

"Is there anything you want to know?" Elizabeth asked long after we were done eating and the trash had already been disposed of.

"Will Edward's dad ever get over him being a doctor?" I asked and this time she sighed loudly.

"I don't know the answer to that," she replied and it seemed honest. "His expectations have always been rather high and I fear Edward will always fall short of them."

"Through no fault of his own," I tacked on and she nodded. "Will I ever meet him or does he even know about me?"

"Yes, he knows about you, Edward talked him right after your accident," she relayed. "As far as meeting him, that is up to Edward. He won't seek you out quite like I have."

"And, why did you seek me out?" I questioned because I actually wanted to know.

"When Edward and his father go at each other, I feel lost in the middle sometimes. On one hand, I want to support my husband, yet on the other, I want to protect my son. Those two are more alike than I think is possible sometimes and I think that is their biggest struggle. I had hoped by meeting you it's give me that connection back with Edward. He's never actually brought a girl home before, so I didn't realize how serious you were until after your accident. He had hinted that he had met somebody, but that was as much as I knew until my sister-in-law called and then I offered to stay away so you weren't smothered," she explained, and I nodded.

"I'm not going to lobby for you to Edward, you realize." I wanted Elizabeth to have a clear expectation of any conversation we have or will have because the last place I'm getting is in the middle of this feud.

"I realize that now, yes," she answered and I was glad for that.

"You do realize by picking his father's side you've alienated him, right? My parents haven't appreciated every decision I've made. My mother can't fathom why I want to go into psychology and see only children because that idea makes her cringe. My father hasn't always liked everyone I've hung out with or the music I listened to when I was a teen. And, it's a miracle my mother didn't murder Edward when he told her I joined a sorority because there was no worse sin I could have committed. But, they're still my parents and they still stick by me because they know this is my life. Edward's father is wrong, and that isn't a matter of opinion, it's a fact. Psychologically it isn't good for Edward to know he will never be good enough, emotionally he will probably always suffer those effects and certain areas of his life will probably always be affected, and his father did that. You've sat by and allowed it," I ranted before pausing for a second. "Look, I'm not trying to be mean or rude, but if you want your son's forgiveness or a connection or whatever else, then act like you care. Take an interest in his life and be present. Don't hide behind the cloak of being the 'good wife' while your son is torn to shreds for following his own calling in life. The only thing you'll get out of that is being alone."

"His father wasn't always so harsh," Elizabeth tried to excuse, but I rolled my eyes this time.

"Not the way Edward explains it," I rebutted with a dead serious look on his face. "He has never been good enough, and he knows it."

I could have continued on and explained how I knew what I was saying was true, but Elizabeth's face showed all that I needed to know that she was had realized that as nice as I had been tonight, I also knew the truth. I may not know what Edward's bank account looked like, but I certainly knew what his heart looked like and I saw the same pain etched every single time his parents were mentioned. His only saving grace was his aunt and uncle but I wasn't about to rub that in Elizabeth's face.

"Well, tonight didn't end exactly how I expected it to," she noted before moving to stand up. "Thank you for your hospitality, you've obviously given me a lot to think about."

"Hold on a second," I replied before standing up and getting to my desk. I wrote my number down on a piece of paper and handed it to her. "You can call me to talk to me, not to dig about Edward."

"Thank you." She took the piece of paper and put it into her purse before opening the door to leave. Of course, she would have walked straight through the door if Edward wasn't standing there with his hand mid-air like he was about to knock. When he looked from me to his mother and then back again, I knew I had made the wrong choice by not immediately calling or texting him the second Elizabeth showed up.

"Mother," he stated in a rough tone, "Why are you here?"

"I was having dinner with Bella and our conversation ran late," she explained and I wanted to smack my head into my hands because it looked like that one sentence smacked Edward clear across his face. "Well, I'll just leave you two, good night." I wasn't sure whether Elizabeth realizes the trouble I was probably in or if she really just couldn't handle seeing Edward, but he hadn't moved to enter my room and for a brief second I feared that he was going to run the second she went out of sight.

"Come in," I ordered and opened the door even wider.

When Edward stepped in my room I noticed he was wearing a backpack and I immediately wondered if he had planned on staying over for the night. My phone hadn't gone off so I knew I hadn't missed a text, was this a surprise? Go figure.

"Bella," he said with a sad tone before turning to face me. His face was hard and I could see the hurt behind his eyes. I wanted to cry knowing I had put that there, but I knew I needed to interrupt him first.

"Have I ever lied to you before? Or, hid something from you that was important?" I questioned in rapid fire. "The second she left I planned on calling you," I explained, "Please, just sit down and let me explain before you assume worse than you probably are."

Edward didn't say anything, but simply nodded as we both sat down on my bed to have yet another serious conversation.

**My eldest won't go to sleep so you can thank her for the almost immediate update, will update again soon.**


	34. Amuse

Word Prompt:Amuse

When Edward sat down on my bed next to me I decided to ask about the bag first.

"I don't know," he muttered and rubbed the back of his neck with his eyes downcast. "I just thought maybe you'd like the surprise."

"Well, I am glad you're here," I replied with a small smile. "I wasn't lying earlier, I missed you."

He nodded his head, but his eyes still looked pained. "You missed me enough to have dinner with my mother without telling me?"

"She showed up," I replied and his eyes snapped to mine. "I had just laid down to watch a movie and there was a knock. I really wasn't sure what to do at first, so I offered for her to come in, and she told me that she had come to invite me to dinner but I was dressed like this so that obviously wasn't an option." I motioned to my shirt and shorts. Edward hadn't moved to interrupt me yet, but his eyes were changing. Where I saw sadness before, I now saw anger.

"So, she just showed up?" he asked through gritted teeth and I nodded. "Why didn't you call me, or text me, I would have come over immediately."

"I knew that, and I thought about that, but I decided that I wanted to know why she was here first. She obviously had questions and I wasn't going for a repeat of the other night, though I guess it sort of ended that way," I mused thinking back to my rant, though Edward didn't look the least bit amused at my statement. .

"I wish you would have called." His shoulders dropped and he heaved a pretty heavy sigh before placing his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry I didn't," I said quietly, but he didn't respond. Instead he stood up and grabbed the bag he had previously put down. He was much faster than I was, but I managed to stand up just seconds before his hands hit my door knob.

"You're leaving?" I questioned as my emotions began to take over. I was tired before Elizabeth showed up, but my conversation with her was as equally as exhausting. I was sorry that I made the wrong choice, but I couldn't stand the back and forth stuff with Edward, at least, not anymore.

"I don't think I should stay here tonight," he replied evenly though he didn't move to look at me.

"Please don't go," I pleaded as tears began to fall from my eyes. "We're not done talking; you can't just leave like this. I can't run after you if you do, please don't make me try."

"Bella, if I stay, I'm worried that I'm going to snap at you and I don't want to," Edward explained lowly, but at that point I didn't even care if he yelled.

"Then do it, but don't leave. I'm sorry I didn't text you, I really didn't realize how big of a deal it would be until right before she left, and I swear I was going to call you the second she was gone. I screwed up, and I made a bad decision, and that decision hurt you, and I'm sorry. But if you walk out of that door, I'm not sure what that means for us because I can't handle…" I tried to say more, but I started crying too hard to speak before I plopped back down on my bed and placed my hands over my face. I was just waiting to hear the door slam¸ but the sound never came. Instead I heard a plop on the floor and two arms wrap around me a few seconds later. I had never really cried in front of Edward before, and as uncomfortable as it made me for him to see me so weak emotionally, I latched onto the front of his shirt and just cried. In my ear, he was whispering something, but I couldn't make out the words.

I wasn't even sure how much time had passed before I finally calmed myself down, but Edward hadn't moved from my side until I did.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," he whispered and this time I could actually understand him.

"What are you sorry for?" I hiccupped and wiped my eyes. "I'm the one who screwed up."

"No, you didn't," he soothed. "But, I did. I'm sorry I got mad and I'm sorry I failed to keep you safe."

"What are you talking about," I huffed as I looked up at him. He looked more concerned than anything else, but I didn't understand what the heck he was talking about. Keeping me safe?

"I'm supposed to protect you and I didn't do that, my mother had no business here and she knew it. I talked to her after her she dropped in on your dinner and I thought we had come to an understanding, but obviously I was wrong. I'm so sorry she keeps showing up," he apologized, but I knew it wasn't his fault.

It still took me a little while too fully calm down, but I had to admit being in Edward's arms helped. If he had actually walked out of my room I'm not even sure there would be an 'us' anymore. Times would get hard and I didn't want to have to worry about him leaving at the drop of a hat. Of course, I also understood that he was leaving in an attempt to protect me, but even that wasn't a good enough answer for me. If we faced things together we would never fail.

"It's not your fault she keeps showing up," I finally told him and I could feel him nodding over my head. "Honestly, we talked about me for the majority of the time, though she did ask me if I was a gold digger flat out."

"Hold on, what?" Edward snapped as he pulled back away from me and raised my face up to his with his hand. "She said that?"

"She asked me if shopping was a hobby, I said no, and then she made a comment about me not being after your money. I then told her I didn't know what money she was talking about and then I told her off," I abridged as Edward groaned.

"And, you let her stay?" he questioned with the shake of his head.

"Like I said, I was curious. She wanted to know about me, so I told her what she wanted to know and she never asked a real personal question. They were all pretty superficial, but then she asked me if I had any questions and then talk turned to you and I told her off," I explained before adding on, "Again."

"You do realize the guy in the relationship is supposed to be the protector, right?" Edward mused, but I rolled my eyes.

"In 1918 maybe, but you protected me from my own mother so I'd say we're even by this point. If you don't want me to talk to her again, just say so and I won't. Edward I didn't mean to make you question me," I apologized again, but this time he moved to take my face in both of his hands.

"I never questioned you," he replied seriously. "I was caught off guard, but I didn't think you were being deceitful."

"Good," I replied and moved to kiss his lips. Edward readily accepted and moved to deepen it while laying me down on my back. He stayed over me for a few minutes before pulling back.

"I love you," he whispered as he hovered over my lips.

"I love you," I replied back. "Are you staying over?"

"If you still want me to," Edward answered and I nodded my head. He got up and moved to grab the bag that was sitting by the door. After a quick trip behind Alice's curtain he was changed and climbing into bed with me.

I asked him to grab the remote to start the movie I had tried to watch earlier and he did, but not before announcing, "I don't want you talking to her in the future. I know that sound demanding and maybe even a little controlling, but I made my thoughts and feelings known not even forty-eight hours ago and she's already stepped in where she knew she didn't belong. I'm dealing with my parents, but it'll make it easier on me if I didn't have to shield you at the same time. If she shows up, just call me. Nothing I'll be doing at that moment will be more important, and maybe one day things will get better, but for now, I really need you on my side on this one."

"I'm always on your side," I relayed as his arms tightened around me for a brief second before the movie started playing.

I really felt bad for Edward to be in such turmoil with his parents, but I guess his saving grace was his aunt and uncle. I was happy he had decided to come over tonight and was happy that we'd be able to spend Sunday together. I just hoped it would be far less eventful because I wasn't sure how much excitement I could take.


	35. Rant

Word Prompt: Rant

The next morning was still a bit awkward. Edward had brought over everything he needed to get ready for church so he managed to get ready pretty fast. I hated men for that fact, while I'd spend 10 minutes just on my hair, he'd run his hands throw his and be done.

He had told me that the church his uncle frequented wasn't incredibly formal, but my breathing still caught when he came around Alice's curtain in a dress shirt and slacks. Of course, I could also smell his cologne which also drove me insane. He smirked at my reaction because I wasn't even discreet about my staring.

We didn't say much to each other, and I managed to pull the dress and legging combo that I had bought the day before, out of the bags without causing an even bigger mess. I was pretty sure Edward laughed at me, but I chose to ignore that. I'd need Alice's help later to get everything sorted and put away. She seemed to love that stuff, so I doubt she'd care.

When we got to his car, he of course opened my door and stored my crutches for me. I kept reminding myself that I'd be shedding those in a few days and I couldn't wait.

Once we were out of the parking lot Edward moved his hand over to mine.

"Do you want to get something to eat?" We were close to where a McDonalds was, and I was definitely hungry. The fruit bar I had eaten this morning was not going to get me through lunch for sure.

"Sure," I answered as I continued to stare out the window.

Edward continued to drive as we listened to the music, and as much as I wanted to talk to him, I wasn't sure what to say. I wouldn't say we were back to square one, but things also weren't like they had been the day before either. I tried not to hate Elizabeth, I really tried, but part of me did. And, part of me wondered if she was showing up as some way to run me off or get Edward to leave. Obviously, he was going to leave last night, but he wasn't breaking up with me, he was just trying to calm down. I didn't know if he would have chosen to stay if I hadn't started crying, and that didn't really sit well. I knew that meant another talk in our future, but for the day I just wanted to enjoy our time with the family he did get along with.

"Bella, there is something I want to tell you, but I don't want you to freak out," Edward stated with his eyes on the road. I could tell by his tone that whatever it was, was obviously very serious, though I wondered why he was bringing something up now opposed to last night.

"Okay," I said evenly and continued to eat the food we had just picked up at the drive thru. Really, what else was I going to say?

"There are certain things I don't talk about. It's not necessarily that I'm hiding things; it's just not stuff that comes up. When my mom mentioned money to you, it's because of an inheritance I got my freshman year. I lost my grandmother and my dad was furious that he was cut out of the will. He even went as far as taking me to court over it, but I won. The major, the fraternity, my life goals, they've always been a struggle, but that is the root. My dad expected me to just hand over what was given to me, and when I questioned him, he snapped. They don't pay for my college, my dues, my car, my insurance, clothes, food, books; none of it. People assume because my uncle fronts everything for Emmett, which he does, that it's the same for me and it's not. I've just never corrected anybody," Edward explained. His eyes never left the road though I started to look over at him mid-chew. "I worry about my mother's motives in bringing it up. To my knowledge, money isn't an issue with my parents, in fact, it's never been an issue, but I think it's more about the power and less about the actual dollar bills. It's part of why I've wanted them to stay away from you. I still talk to them, I'm still their son, but it's different. I've never walked away from them completely, but I will if either of them attempted to pull the same stuff they did from before. I refuse to go through that again."

When he stopped talking, I knew it was my turn to talk yet I still didn't know what to say. Obviously, I fell in love with Edward, not his bank account. I didn't even want to know how much money he had, but it started to make more sense why he reacted so harshly last night. I thought he and his parents just didn't get along, but this seemed like so much more, and it definitely made me hate Elizabeth for putting me in the middle because there was no doubt that she knew what was going to happen. Maybe Edward wasn't really mad at me? Maybe he was more scared of the situation that might face him and he didn't know how to react? After a few minutes I had more questions than I did answers, but he needed to know now that I'd stand by him.

"I love you, Edward. The guy who has just as many books as I do, the guy who puts time and effort into the things he cares about, and isn't scared to follow the path he knows is best despite those around him saying it's not. I don't care how big your bank account is, money has never been a huge factor in my life, and it's not going to become one now. I'd still love you if you left medical school with a quarter of a million in student loans. If your parents come after you, they'll have to come after us, because I won't make you defend yourself alone. You're not alone anymore, donate it all tomorrow, you're still you, and that is all I want or need."

"Thank you, Bella." He looked over at me with a smile.

"Was this why you were so upset last night?" I asked, and I watched him nod his head.

"Sort of, yeah," he explained. "I mean, the second I saw her, I just wanted to blow up, but I knew that wouldn't end well. And, then I saw you standing there with a deer in headlights look and I knew you weren't being deceitful or dishonest, and I knew you didn't know the whole story, which was mainly my fault, but I still wanted to protect you. It's why I went to leave, even though I knew everything you'd say was the truth, I knew I'd take our my frustration on my parents on you and I never wanted to do that. I swear my temper isn't normally as hot as it ran last night, but I saw her there and I was just done. I was never mad at you, Bella, never."

"I didn't really realize that last night," I admitted honestly, "But I'm starting to see that. I felt really bad."

"I know, which is why I hated seeing you apologize to me when I obviously needed to be bowing down at your feet for the way I reacted," he admitted a bit sheepishly.

"I think we both may have messed up, but I'm glad you didn't leave," I informed him.

"I couldn't," he told me. "Not just because you were crying, but I could hear in your voice how serious you were about trying to come after me, and I didn't want you to get hurt any worse than you already were over me. Then you started crying, and I was done. Holding you brought me back to reality, though I hated being the reason you were so upset."

"We'll move past it," I replied. "However, if you have any other huge secrets could you disclose those sooner rather than later? Here I thought I had a big secret about joining a sorority, but you make my secret seem like it's not such a big deal in comparison."

"You're welcome," Edward deadpanned sarcastically. "But, that's it, I swear. I have a psycho ex and I'm a multi-millionaire with a trouble relationship with my parents, I'm not sure I want to add anything else to that list."

I hadn't even realized that we were pulling into the church's parking lot by the time he dropped his last comment, and I decided I had nothing to rebut it with. A man was directing traffic and Edward parked where he was told to before popping out to open my door. Instead of reaching for my church's next he immediately wrapped his arms around me seeming to forget where we were.

"You're amazing," he whispered into my ear as I chuckled. "Just in case, I don't tell you that enough."

"Thank you, but we should probably head inside before we cause a scene," I noted and he nodded before reaching in the backseat for my crutches.

Getting up the stairs and into our seats wasn't actually too difficult since I was used to the stairs on campus. Of course, there were elevators, but I was stubborn. The greeter was very friendly and it looked like we were the last ones to arrive since Edward's aunt and uncle, Emmett, and Rosalie had already taken their seats. I groaned internally when I saw we'd be sitting near the front, but still put on a smile when Carlisle and Esme saw us.

"I'm so glad you decided to join us," Esme greeted me with a smile and a hug.

"Thanks for letting me come," I replied back politely.

"You're always welcome, Bella. How are you feeling?" Carlisle cut in.

"Like I want to burn this thing off my leg," I joked as he chuckled. "But, I'm good, thank you."

Someone started to walk up to the front so we took our seats and Edward rested his arm round my shoulders. I snuggled into his shoulder for a second before sitting up straight. He leaned over to kiss my forehead before the band began to play music.

For this being Carlisle's church I had expected it to be a bit more formal, maybe a bit more uppity, but the music was upbeat and definitely Christian rock, which I liked. I hadn't even asked Edward what denomination it was before we came, but I noticed the program said Non-Denominational.

All was going fine until Edward turned his head and gripped onto my shoulders a bit tighter for a brief second. He then moved to whisper to his uncle who then turned and grimaced.

"What's wrong?" I whispered to him just as the minister stood up to begin speaking.

"My parents are here,' he answered, and I groaned.

"I'm here for you," I reminded him and he gave me a small smile.

"That is what will get me through today," he replied earning me another kiss. I had never realized how close a kiss on my forehead could make me feel, but I absolutely loved it.

The Pastor stood in front of the podium and welcomed us all before going over church announcements, and then into his sermon which surrounded the topic of marriage. I had to admit, there were a few parts where I wanted to just look over at Rosalie and Emmett since they both seemed a bit squirmy, especially during the waiting part, but I kept my eyes forward. Even when I felt Edward pull me into him just slightly, I still stared on.

It wasn't that I didn't like what he was saying, but I had to admit it was one hell of a church service to pick. He went over the whole waiting thing, which made me blush internally, then onto commitment, which I agreed with, respecting one's partner, and then his opinions on the current divorce rate. I would have rebutted a few of the statistics he quoted, but overall it was a very moving sermon that lasted just over an hour.

Carlisle and Esme were the first to stand excusing themselves to talk to a few friends to the side, leaving the four of us to ourselves. Rosalie had a smile plastered on her face, while Emmett seemed a bit annoyed; I made a note to ask about that later.

We didn't see Elizabeth or Edward Sr. until we left the actual building, by that point, Esme and Carlisle were back at our side since we were all meeting up at their house for lunch.

"It's nice to see you again, Bella," Elizabeth spoke with a fake smile on her face. She seemed so much more genuine the night before, but standing next to her husband she almost reminded me of a stepford wife.

"Hello," I greeted to be polite, while not moving from Edward's side. She looked from me to him and back again before huffing.

"You already poisoned here against me, I see. That didn't take long," she huffed and moved her arms across her chest.

"The truth is rarely full of poison," I noted, but that served to upset his father.

"Listen here, Missy," he spoke, right as Edward and Carlisle both opened their mouths.

"Do not speak to her that way." Edward.

"This is neither the time nor place." Carlisle.

"And, when is the place? Edward won't even have dinner with us," his father sneered towards his brother.

"I'm sure whatever Edward's reasons are his own, but need I remind you where we are. You're ruining my day off," Carlisle shot back.

"It's just dinner, Edward," his mother turned her tone from harsh to almost pleading as she looked over at him.

"Are you dying?" Edward asked. Both shook their heads no. "Are you going to jail for something?" This time, they both reacted with shock before stating that was absurd. "Are you moving?" Edward continued to question. When they both huffed out a no, he nodded. "Then, there is nothing you need to say that is so important that I must drop everything to have dinner. Like I said, I'd call when I was ready, me, not you."

"We raised you better than this," Elizabeth snapped, and while I watched Edward try and catch himself, he still let out a laugh.

"We're done here," he ended before turning to me to offer his help so I could down the stairs.

Edward took a few steps, and I noticed Elizabeth staring directly at me.

"Like I said, you continually pick the wrong side," I told her with a sigh. While she didn't say anything, my simple comment set his father off at me. Edward moved to step in front of me, but I handed him my crutches and shook my head, his father never stopping.

"Who do you think you are? You've been round, what, a few months and you think you have a say in our son's life? That you can judge so harshly? You're still a teenager for Christ's sake," Edward Sr. snapped at me.

"I'm Bella Swan, it's a pleasure to meet you," I replied calmly and held my hand out.

Edward's dad looked on dumbfounded, though he never did take my hand, which I dropped seconds later.

"Are you joking?" he asked in disbelief, but I shook my head no.

"No, you asked who I was, and I was only formally introducing myself. I've met your wife, but not you," I stated coolly. While my temper was in check on the inside, it was running very hot internally and I just hoped Edward would forgive me for what I was about to do.

"However, since you asked more than just that, I've also been around for a few months, and I plan on being around for several decades in the future. Like I've told your wife before, you don't have to like me, and I'm okay with that, but your temper tantrums and manipulation games aren't going to send me running." I raised my eyebrow at him and smirked, still keeping my tone calm. He opened his mouth to speak, but I raised mine to silence him before he even started.

"I'm not done speaking to you yet, and, in case you've missed the man standing next to me, otherwise known as your son, he has grown up to be an amazing person despite your lack of effort. He's also someone I love very much, and if that isn't good enough for you, then I don't really care either, because he knows and that is what I actually do care about. You can throw your words and your guilt trips, but in the end, you won't win because he alone is stronger than you will ever be, but together we're unbreakable. I'm not judging you, because judging involves having an opinion, and I don't have them, I have facts. What you've done and what you've said in the past is wrong. You are wrong. I don't care how many events you show up to, hell I'll e-mail you my personal schedule if you'd like, but while you stand tall as some big shot lawyer, I doubt you've ever gone up against a psychiatrists daughter or a police chief's daughters. You don't scare me, it doesn't matter how crisp your suit it or how cold your eyes are. I think my feelings have been best said by Matilda, 'We're right, you're wrong, we're big, you're small, and frankly, there isn't a fucking thing you can do about it'."

I had to thank my mom for the two years of ballet that she forced me to take, because it was with that knowledge that I turned perfectly on my good foot and faced away from him. I could see shock registered on Edward's face, but it didn't take him long before he helped me down the steps. Both Carlisle and Esme stayed, probably talking to the devils themselves, as Edward, me, Emmett, and Rosalie walked back to our cars.

"Bella, I don't think I've ever heard your curse before," Emmett said enthusiastically once we were far enough away from the parental units.

"I don't make it a habit," I breathed out trying to stay calm. Adrenaline had taken over and I could feel my heart racing faster. I desperately tried to calm myself down with breathing, but it was futile. Edward hadn't said a word, and neither had Rosalie. I had definitely not conducted myself in true Tri-Delta's fashion and I hoped this wouldn't make it back to campus. I didn't think it would, but Rosalie was my big sister.

"We'll be late," Edward told Emmett as we split up. He didn't push for any other information and Rosalie just nodded on, her face was still a bit pale.

Edward helped me into the car, but I still couldn't read his face. I knew Edward was old-fashioned, and I was pretty sure that ranting session would have gotten me burned at the stake back in those times, or worse, stoned, but it needed to be said. I could just see how weak his father viewed him, but Edward wasn't weak. If being the bigger person meant being labeled a doormat, well, I just wasn't going to stand there and let it go. I also didn't know when I'd get another chance to defend him either.

When we finally hit the road I muttered up the confidence to ask why we were going to be late.

"We're going to my place to talk," Edward answered, still his tone devoid of any obvious emotion.

"Aren't we like thirty minutes from campus?" I asked realizing that it'd be an hour just to get back here, plus another thirty to get to his aunt and uncles house.

"I have an apartment downtown, Bella," he answered, and I nodded my head unsure how to reply to that reveal.

I guess he may have had another secret he didn't realize he needed to tell me.

**And, here, ya'll thought Renee and Charlie would be the psycho parents from hell ;p Edward and Bella both reacted badly in the last chapter, and in different ways, just remember, they're both young, though Edward is a bit older, and still learning. They'll get the hang of things, but I would not want to cross this Bella if my life depended on it. Oh, and when I do a tell off, I still turn like a freaking dancer as my hair fans out very dramatically. I rarely tell people off quite like that though-but it's my own habit. **


	36. Dizzy

**Word Prompt**: Dizzy

The drive to Edward's apartment was incredibly quiet. His iPod played, but I wasn't even focused on the music. I didn't dare peak over at him for fear of what I may see. He didn't seem mad or angry, but he also didn't seem happy or proud.

My initial reaction was to defend Edward, even though I still logically knew Edward wanted to defend and protect me, I knew someone needed to defend and protect him. He had stood in the line of fire when my mom went off, and even though I wasn't there, my dad was blunt about how bad she had really gotten. She cooled down, of course, but still, he took that for me. And, today I stood up for him.

He hadn't reached for my hand, and I hadn't offered mine. In fact, I was fidgeting more than normal as I tried to stay calm. I almost felt dizzy from all the adrenalin pounding through me, but time seemed to pass rapidly before Edward turned into a parking garage to park his car.

When he got out, I moved to get out as well, but he shot over to help me. Although I didn't smile, his gesture did make me happy because, at the very least, I knew he wasn't seething mad.

"There's an elevator we'll take," he informed me with a quiet tone as he reached for my crutches. The space he picked was close to the elevator and he stuck a key in before selecting his floor. I had figured that was for security reasons, but when the door opened and we walked straight into an apartment, or well, condo would probably be a better word, my mouth dropped.

I looked from side to side, unsure what to really say or do. The floors were so shiny I felt guilty putting my crutches on it.

"This is my place," he announced formally as I looked over at him in sheer disbelief. Obviously, Edward had an inheritance I had just learned about, and his car wasn't cheap, but a condo? Why stay on campus when he had this?

"Your place," I repeated in disbelief. The condo was furnished and decorated, though it was also very minimalistic too. He seemed to follow a pattern with whites, blacks, and blues, with more art on the walls than pictures. He had one of him and his family in the hallway, but the ASP class photos also hung near them in a collage pattern. I spotted a few that looked like they were taken when Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie were younger, but I didn't have time to inspect them closer as I followed him as we passed through the hallway.

"My aunt helped me with all the decorating and stuff, I just told her the colors I liked," he explained as we walked to the living room. The TV was huge and the sofa was an oversized sectional that looked incredibly comfortable. We had passed a very sleek stainless steel kitchen on the way, but I was still in shock as I took in my surrounding.

"When did you buy this?" I asked finally unsure what else to really respond with.

"Last year, I knew I wanted a place in the city and there were a few buildings I was considering. This one came open and I decided to take it, but I'll remain in the house on campus until I finished school. It'll actually work better now since it's so close to the hospital, but I figured I need a place when I went between coasts," Edward explained.

"I thought you were done with secrets," I muttered under my breath.

"I said I was a multi-millionaire, this kind of goes with that," he replied and came over to where I was standing. He looked at me thoughtfully and cracked a small smile. "Do you wanna see the bedroom?"

"Sure," I replied and followed behind him, my nerves switching from scared to anxious. When he opened up two French doors to reveal a rather large master bedroom all I could think about was trying to fit two people into my tiny dorm bed, when we could be sleeping in the king sized bed that sat in the center of the room.

"Come sit down," he instructed and then helped lift me up onto the bed since my cast was weighing me down. "Give me one second."

Edward disappeared inside a closet, or, what looked like a closet, for almost a minute as I looked around. I scooted up on the bed so that my legs were resting in front of me because the weight of my cast was starting to hurt. The bed was extremely comfortable to sit on, so I could only imagine lying down on it. When he came back out he held a black velvet box in his hands. I didn't want to assume anything as he came to sit next to me, but I definitely held my breath in a bit. It wasn't a ring box at least, because if it were that small, I'd probably start hyperventilating.

"I was waiting to give you this before formal, but I don't really want to wait anymore. So, I hope you like it, if not, I can order you a different one," Edward stuttered nervously and opened the box. Nestled inside was a white gold necklace with a charm of the ASP Greek letter's. Each letter was accented in diamonds, and it took me a second to realized I was staring at a lavalier…Edward's lavalier to me. I looked up at him and then back down at the necklace before moving my hands to take it. "It came last week."

"Thank you," I whispered with emotions lacing my voice. I knew what this symbol meant to him, and I knew what I was silently agreeing to by taking it. If I hadn't made my intentions clear in front of his parents, I most certainly was as he pulled the necklace out and placed it around my neck. "I really love it."

"Good," he replied before moving in to kiss me. While we had had moments were we let ourselves go, this time was different. It was more, so much more, but it was also indescribable. Tears formed in my eyes even though I never pulled away from Edward, and I really didn't want to get emotional. The sermon we sat through was meaningful, and then dealing with his parents, and now wearing his lavalier, well, it just wasn't how I pictured Sunday going. "I love you so much," he whispered as he pulled away.

"I was worried you were be angry," I admitted as we both moved to lie down across the bed.

"I could never be angry at you," he replied. "Not for that, Bella, I've never had someone defend me like that and to see my dad's face, well I think we were both shocked. I knew you could run off my mom, which alone is its own accomplishment, but to see you with my dad. I've been so worried about sheltering you, when in reality I never needed to. You are the strongest woman I have ever met."

"Well, I'm glad you're not mad, because if you were I wasn't sure how to handle that. I'm not sorry," I stated with a little more sass than I meant to.

"I was never mad," Edward replied in a huskier voice before leaning over to kiss me again. It took everything I had not to moan into his mouth, though I did curse my cock blocking cast.

I smiled at him as he moved back and brought my hand to my neck to feel the ASP letters. "What does all this mean for us?"

"Hmmm." He sighed at my side. "Well, assuming you can put up with my dysfunctional family, and I can live with the fact that your father could probably shoot me and get away with it, I'd say it means whatever we want it to. I hope this is the last bit of drama we have to deal with for a while and when we get back to campus we'll still just be Edward and Bella. I don't want to rush you, or me, or us, so I figure we'll just talk as things go. Once I start medical school and my residency, well, I'll be like a dead man walking for a while and you still have school, so I guess we'll just make it work as times goes on."

"I like the sound of that," I admitted though I diverted my eyes away for a second. "What about sex?"

"Uh," Edward stuttered for a second obviously not prepared for my question. "Well, first you need to lose the cast and make sure you won't get hurt, and then, I don't know, when it happens, it happens? I have no question that you're my future Bella, if that's what you're asking, but I also don't want to really plan it either."

"But, it's an option? I mean, when my ankle is healed?" I questioned with way too much excitement behind my voice.

Edward laughed for a second, "Yes, Bella, it's an option."

"Good," I replied and then started laughing myself. For a few minutes we just laid there and relaxed. I loved the feeling of his bed and I definitely didn't want to get up.

"Can you see yourself here?" Edward asked out of nowhere. I looked over him with a confused look as he clarified, "When I bought it, I wasn't really taking into account another person. Starting in the summer, this is where I'll be full time, and one day I'd like to think that you'd like to move in."

"I think it's perfect for us," I replied slowly.

"But?" he questioned.

"I don't think it's a good place to raise kids. There isn't a yard," I answered as a smile formed on his face.

"I figured I'd buy a house out near my aunt and uncles, they all have yards, just a longer commute to the city," he informed me and I nodded.

"Then, I think it's pretty perfect, but can we take the bed with us back to my dorm room? I don't even want to move," I muttered and sighed against the bed.

"That is so random Bella," Edward teased before letting out a chuckle. "But, no, the bed stays, you'll just have to visit more."

"I would have visited months ago if I knew it was here," I taunted.

"True, but very, very few people know this place is mine. I use it for ASP things every so often, but everyone thinks it's my uncles," he told me, and I just shook my head at him.

"Master of deceit I see," I joked.

"Protective, yes, but deceitful, I try not to be. I've seen what money has done just with my parents, I figure, people won't flock if I don't flaunt it," he explained very seriously, though I hadn't really been serious with my comment.

"I know, I was teasing. I promise to keep your secrets," I replied before moving up to kiss him. We had only just started before his cell phone went off and I lied back down on the bed with a huff.

Edward chuckled, but answered the phone. Apparently Emmett wanted to make sure we were still coming and explained lunch was almost ready. I groaned as I left Edward's bed, but we made it to the car pretty fast and hit the road.

The drive to his aunt and uncle's house was really beautiful once we left the major city. It almost reminded me of home and I made a mental reference to actually explore the area more once I could drive again. Every few minutes I'd reach up and touch my necklace just to remind myself that it was there before I pulled my phone out and started to text my mom.

She had been around a sorority long enough to know most of the traditions and had asked me about lavalier's shortly after they left. I texted her out a simply greeting and told her we were heading to his aunt and uncles house for lunch, and then told her that I had gotten my lavalier. It didn't even take her a minute to write back, _'I knew I liked that boy, thinking about a visit soon?-Mom'_

"What has you so smiley?" Edward asked a second later as I looked up from my phone.

"My mom wanted to know when I was thinking about visiting," I told him, and he nodded thoughtfully.

"What about the weekend after formal? We don't have anything scheduled, do you?"

"You want to drive to Forks?" I questioned just to ensure I was clear.

"Sure," he supplied like it was nothing, and we both agreed to drive down Friday morning since neither one of us had classes and come back up Sunday morning. I was pretty sure the Tri-Delta calendar was clear that weekend, but even if it wasn't, I could get away for a few days.

The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful until we pulled through the gate of Carlisle and Esme's house. As I looked around, I realized most of the houses were more like castles and mansions. Edward had mentioned wanted to buy out here, but the cost of these houses had to be enormous. I was starting to think that when Edward said multi-millionaire, he wasn't meaning two or three.

**I'm so sorry this is late. I tried really hard to push it out faster, but Thursday's are insane at my house, and I literally left the house at 9 this morning and got home around 10 with a 2 hour break in between to cook for my second event. I may update again on Sunday, I'll be gone all day again tomorrow for Troops's Appreciation Baseball Game nearly 2 hours away. **


	37. Glare

Word Prompt: Glare

Edward continued to hold my hand as he drove to his aunt and uncle's house. The music played in the background, but I was too deep in thought to really pay much attention to anything. Even Edward was taking the backseat to the new information I was now processing. For some reason, Edward's secrets didn't surprise me as much as I thought they should. I wasn't sure what it was, but somehow I knew there was more. But, I would have never guessed that he would give up a comfy King sized bed for a room in a fraternity house. I also never would have guessed that his parents really could be as awful as I was imaging them to be. I had hoped that I would think of the worst and they'd somehow surprise me, but since that didn't happen, I didn't even know what square I was back to with his mother and his father could jump off a cliff for all I cared. Well, that was extreme, but I wasn't sure I'd ever like him.

The realization that Edward was a little more well off than I had originally figured was a little unsettling. I wasn't lying when I said money didn't matter, but then how did I factor how much it mattered to him? Was there eventually a path he saw himself on that had me in pretty dresses and pearls entertaining guests all the time? Or, did he expect to send his children to a ridiculously priced private school we'd have to be interviewed for? Initially, I hadn't thought of any of that, but it all came to a glaring head the second he turned entered through a large black cast-iron gate.

I nearly held my breath when I saw exactly how big most of the houses near his aunt and uncles were. They weren't traditionally built on top of each other, most had fences of their own with an ample amount of yard. One or two could easily be mistaken for castles, but there was no doubt every house in this area would be considered a mansion and that was a lot to take in. Edward said he had intended on buying out here later in life, but did I want that? My parents had a lot of money compared to most where I grew up, but I was still raised in a modest house that I wouldn't need a team of maids to keep clean.

When Edward pulled up to park I wasn't even remotely surprised that Carlisle and Esme's 'house' was more on the castle side, though I did admit that it was gorgeous in an old fashion, gothic kind of way. But, this wouldn't be the type of house I'd want to come to everyday.

I gave Edward a small smile when he let go of my hand to reach for the emergency break and again, when he reached my door.

"Are you nervous?" he asked quietly as I shook my head no and attempted to lighten my thoughts "What's wrong, then? They won't notice we're here yet."

"Can we talk about it later?" I replied knowing that our conversation wasn't fit for this place nor would it be a short one.

"Um, sure," he stuttered out and looked down. I immediately felt guilty that I had made him nervous, because I had no intention of making him antsy. It made me wonder if some of his insecurities were a result of his parents treatment, but I decided not to think about that and instead soothe his newfound worries.

"I love you, that won't change," I reminded him with a brightened smile. Without thinking I reached up and touched the lavaliere hanging around my neck before smiling almost to myself and looking down. "You're still my forever, Edward" I told him as I looked back up realizing what I was doing.

"Well, as long as that hasn't changed, whatever it is can wait," he accepted before leaning down to take my lips with his. Getting lost in him was so, so easy, but knowing we had to get inside for lunch had us walking up to the door minutes later.

Once inside I felt like we were in a whirlwind getting to the backyard and to the table Esme has set up for lunch. Emmett though it would be funny to take it upon himself to bow before me like I was some foreign princess or God, so I may have taken it upon myself to hit him in the head with one of my crutches.

"What was that for?" Emmett whined as he stood up and scowled at me. Edward and Carlisle were laughing at the sight.

"Really?" I deadpanned with a glare. "If you drop to your knees again, I'll hit you harder."

"Look, all I'm saying," Emmett started before taking a giant step back so he was out of my immediate range of fire, "Is that in a fight, I'm betting on you. I can't believe you quoted Matilda."

Emmett's words made me roll my eyes and shake my head because it really was insane. Of all the quotes I could think up at the time, how I came up with Matilda's I'll never know. Edward eventually called for him to knock it off and Emmett just shrugged, but he shut up in time not to be caught teasing me in from of his mother or Rosalie. Carlisle hadn't said a word as I sat down, and Esme and Rosalie were coming out of the kitchen with two large trays of food before sitting down themselves.

"Hey, Bella," Rosalie greeted as she took the seat in front of me.

"Hey," I replied back. I hadn't seen Rosalie until she stepped outside so she hadn't had a chance to see my necklace yet. I had no intention of making a big announcement about it, nor would Edward I had hoped, but it didn't seem to matter because the second she looked down, her eyes widened and she gasped.

"You okay?" Edward looked over at Rose, not paying attention to what had caused her demeanor to falter.

"Of course," she stuttered before looking at my necklace and back over to Edward and then back to my neck. He just gave a small smile before putting his arm around the back of my shoulders and I was pretty sure I saw Rosalie nod, but by that point, I felt like a stranger in the middle of a conversation being spoken in a language I didn't understand. I knew Rosalie and Edward were like siblings and they had spent a better part of their teenage years around each other, but it still felt odd when they did this.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Edward whispered into my ear as I nodded my head.

"I'm fine," I answered him as he leaned over to kiss me.

"You two are so sweet," Esme gushed as she finally took her seat. I blushed and looked down, though it didn't seem Edward was as affected by her words as I was. I didn't mind PDA, but PDA in front of his family was still weird.

After a quick prayer lead by Carlisle, food started to be passed out. Esme had prepared a full sandwich buffet with just about every topping available, potato salad, macaroni salad, devilled eggs, and a full tray of fruit. It all looked delish, but I knew my eyes were bigger than my stomach so I tried not to overload my plate.

"So, Bella, how did you like the service?" Carlisle asked out of nowhere as my attention snapped towards him.

"It was nice," I answered politely. "It's been a while since I've been to church, everyone seems very welcoming."

"Yes, everyone is very friendly. It is part of what drew me in when Esme and I first started attending," he agreed. Carlisle had spent the better part of two minutes looking towards my neck, but once my eyes met his, he looked away and I didn't catch him again. I had a feeling the meaning of what I wore was not lost on anyone, but no one directly asked me about it. In fact, no one brought up my altercation with Edward's parents either when I half expected it. Carlisle, at the very least, could very well be angry if he felt I treated his own brother badly, but if he was it didn't show.

The conversations bounced around the table about everything from school to the future to where the three seniors were looking at living come summer. Emmett didn't want to move home, so he and Rosalie were already apartment shopping in the city, and once everyone realized I knew about Edward's condo, that was a no brainer.

"Did you like it? The first time I stepped inside I was surprised how big it was," Rosalie commented as I laughed a little.

"I would say shock was my first reaction, but it's decorated really well, though I guess credit goes to Esme for that one," I noted and looked over at Esme who was grinning.

"Yes, well, he told me what he liked, I just stuck with that." Esme brushed off my compliment, but I knew she was truly the mastermind behind the décor even if Edward had picked he colors.

"Are you staying on campus next semester, Rose?" I asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, we'll move into our own place in the summer and start hunting down jobs, I guess. I'm not ready to grow up yet," she teased as Esme laughed.

"I'm not sure anyone is ever ready to grow up," Carlisle interjected with a laugh.

"Well I'm ready," Emmett boomed over the table as we all laughed. Edward looked over at him and shook his head slightly, and for a second I felt like I was missing something, but didn't really focus on it as we all finished our food.

Esme invited me inside while she cleaned up in the kitchen and I was waiting for someone, well, Esme or Carlisle, to corner me about earlier and figured this would give her a chance. Edward didn't seen phased as I hobbled away and inside, while the guys walked over to the bar area to sit down with Carlisle. Rosalie had offered to clean up outside, so she was left to her own devices.

"Take a seat, Bella," she instructed and pointed to several seats that I could choose from. All of them sat high enough so I could see over the inside bar area and into the kitchen.

As I adjusted myself on the seat, she came over and set my glass of water in front of me. "Thank you," I told her as I swiveled towards the kitchen. "Are you sure I can't help?"

"Of course not," she brushed off with a laugh. "For one, you're in a cast and for two, you're a guest."

"Okay," I conceded knowing I wouldn't win, but figured it would be more polite to offer than assume.

"Your necklace is beautiful," she spoke though she wasn't looking at me when she did so. "I haven't seen it before, when did you get it?"

"A few hours ago," I answered cautiously as she made a humming sound. "Look, I know my behavior outside of the church wasn't very appropriate, but…"

"Oh, Bella," she cut me off, "I'm not mad about the church. What you did, what you said…" Esme paused and finally turned to face me showing the tears in her eyes. "Edward is more like a son to me than he is a nephew. He's spent more time here or with us than his own parents at times, and I think once you become a mother you'll understand what I mean when I say that the only thing I've ever wanted for both Emmett, and Edward, was for them to find someone who completed them." Her words struck a chord with me as she paused to collect herself before continuing on, "Life isn't just about making somebody happy or loving them because those things come easily, Bella and you find out over time that when times get hard, it's never for a lack of love. And, unlike Emmett who has always needed someone to settle him down, Edward has always needed a defender, someone who would go to bat for him when he couldn't do it on his own. Edward is very strong, too strong sometimes, but when he's not, and when everything has finally gotten to him, he cracks, and" Esme paused again and wiped her eyes with her hands. "And, he's found that defender in you, and it worries me because you both are so young and that is a lot of pressure…"

"Can I stop you there?" I interrupted quietly with a cringe to my face. I had a feeling that I knew where her words were headed, but they were unnecessary.

"Of course, I didn't mean to unload on you," Esme replied. "I just saw your necklace and…" She shook her head as I moved to speak.

"I know we're young, it's been pointed out more than once by my parents, Carlisle, and I'm sure more if I tried to think about it, but age is a number. I realize the next few years are going to be a challenge. I need to finish school because I didn't start not to finish and what I'm going for, I genuinely want to do with my life. Edward has medical school and a residency, and neither of those will be a picnic for him, but I want you to know that I didn't accept this lightly." I moved my hand to my necklace and pulled it from my neck to gesture what I meant. "I know the strings attached to it, I knew why he held off from immediately throwing it on me, and despite the incredibly short period of time we've officially been together, we actually have talked about the future. I feel like sometimes we've done things backwards and we've gotten all the hard stuff dealt with upfront so now we can just enjoy our time, but I don't regret anything I said this afternoon and I'm only sorry if it somehow affects your membership at the church. Edward's parents don't scare me and I'd do it again. So, I get it; just trust us because we know what we're doing."

Esme looked straight at me and nodded before a smirk played across her lips. "Well, then, I guess you should get off your butt and start doing these dishes."

"Okay," I answered with a shrug and moved to stand up.

"I was kidding Bella, but your guest status has been upgraded," Esme told me with a wink and I knew from that point on, I had officially been accepted in her eyes. And, for some reason, that meant more to me than it would have from Edward's own mother.

Esme's immediate shift in personality was a little startling, but I was starting to see exactly how protective Edward's aunt, uncle, and even Rosalie, could be. Part of me wondered if they were selling him short, but another small part of me wondered what Edward looked like it at his lowest. Regardless, I'd never let him fall into that same hole again and I wasn't lying, big bad, lawyer hot shots didn't scare me now and they wouldn't scare me later.

We were still laughing about Esme's change of heart when Edward came up behind me and asked me what had been so funny, but I refused to tell him. He even pouted but I shook my head before he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"It's my secret," I whispered as Esme pretended to ignore our exchange.

"Well, what if I don't like secrets?" he countered as I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Then, you'll have to think of ways to extract them from me, but for now my lips are sealed," I replied back innocently as Edward's eyebrow raised up in a challenge.

"Game on, Bella," he challenged and didn't even pretend to be quiet as he said it.

Emmett just happened to be walking behind us and shouted that he was betting on me, which of course sent us all into more laughter.

The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging around Carlisle and Esme's house, though I decided not to take the official tour until my cast was gone. There were four levels of stairs I just didn't want to fuss with though I pretended to be shocked when they said there was no elevator. Edward rolled his eyes.

Once we were back in the car and driving back towards campus, I lazily looked over at Edward and started playing with the back of his neck. I could feel the pain meds kicking in for my ankle and they were making me feel a little bit goofy. I avoided taking them as much as possible, but days like today when I was on my feet more than off, were my weakness. I loved how roomy Edward's Volvo was as I stretched out and continued to play with his hair.

"Meds kicking in, Bella?" Edward teased with as he smiled in my direction before turning his attention back to the road.

"Maybe a little," I replied with a sing song voice. "Your car is so comfy, but not as comfy as your bed."

"You're never going to let me live down the bed are you?" he questioned, as I sighed.

"Nope, if we could sleep there tonight, I would," I answered seriously. Sure, the meds were making me feeling a little goofier, but I was still me. Maybe just a happier me, though my senses were still intact.

"What time is your first class?" I looked over at Edward with my eyebrow raised.

"Monday's are my late morning, you know that," I relayed, my voice sounding more normal than before as I tried to figure out why he would ask.

"Well, I mean, I guess if you really wanted to, we could stay there tonight as long as we woke up early enough to get back to campus in the morning," Edward suggested and it took me a second to figure out if he was serious or not.

"For real?" I finally asked. "Like, you're not teasing because it would make me really sad if you were joking."

"Sure, if sleeping in the big comfy bed will make you happy, why not? It's just one night," he replied as my eyes went wide.

"Okay, I promise not to throw a pillow at your head in the morning when you wake me up ridiculously early and all I'll want to do is stay asleep," I promised as he laughed.

"Your wish is my command," he replied and changed course on his GPS as I smiled widely.

The drive over wasn't too long and I felt a lot more comfortable coming back a second time than when I was surprised with its existence earlier this afternoon.

"The frig won't have much and I don't keep too many clothes here, but I know I'll have a few shirts you can pick from," Edward informed me when I walked through the French doors and spied the bed I wanted so desperately to lay down in.

"Whatever you have is fine," I replied with a shrug. "I did sort of strong arm you into staying tonight."

"I wanted to," he relayed as I smiled. He turned around and handed me an oversized ASP shirt.

"Marking me some more?" I teased. I had expected him to say no, but instead he just smirked and I knew he had picked this shirt on purpose.

"Maybe just a little bit," he replied before leaning down to kiss me. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too," I whispered back as he pulled away leaving me in a complete daze.

"Did you want to use the bathroom first?" he offered and I nodded. "I'm going to run out then and grab a few things at the corner store for breakfast in the morning."

"Okay," I replied and offered to go with him, but he said he'd be fine.

"The bathroom is fully stocked, use whatever you need," Edward told me before he stepped out of the bedroom and walked to the elevator. I sighed as I looked around and took in my surroundings. I didn't have my cast bag, so a true shower was out of the question, but once I got inside I realized the tub was so big I could actually take a half way decent bath with enough room to put my foot up.

I grabbed a few extra towels to wrap under and around my cast just in case, but the ledge was long enough so that I could comfortably sit in the bath and have my leg up without an issue. I flipped the TV on, yes he had a TV in his bathroom in front of the bathtub, to a station that played music and just relaxed. I had found a thing of bubble bath under the sink that had never been opened and I adjusted the lights down so that they barely glowed.

When Edward asked me earlier if I could see myself living in this condo I actually had to think about it, but had I seen this bathroom first, I wouldn't have even needed a second. I was so relaxed that I hadn't even realized thirty minutes had passed until my hands turned pruney from the water. I let out the water before moving to stand up and then dried myself before throwing on the shirt Edward had given me along with a pair of his boxers. It was gross enough that I'd have to go back home in day old panties, so I didn't want to sleep in them to.

I was a little surprised Edward hadn't come back yet so I took the time to clean up the bathroom before climbing into bed with my phone. I started checking my text messages, e-mail, and then my facebook updates to see what had happened throughout the day. I also texted Alice to let her know I wouldn't be home tonight.

'_Night with Edward, see you tomorrow.-Bella'_

It didn't take her long to text me back, '_Sexy time with Edward?-Alice'_

'_I wish.-Bella'_

'_Just get naked, it works with Jasper.-Alice'_

'_TMI, Alice, TMI.-Bella'_

'_Oh please, like you hadn't thought about it.-Alice'_

'_Well, I'm not wearing any underwear.-Bella'_

'_TMI, Bella, geez! LOL Good luck.-Alice'_

'_Night, dinner tomorrow?-Bella'_

'_Sure, usual time and place?-Alice'_

'_Yup. Night-Bella'_

'_Night, I'm gonna go get laid.-Alice'_

'_Bitch!-Bella'_

I groaned as I put my phone down next to me and relaxed into the pillows. When I looked up, I saw Edward looking at me with a confused expression and I had to wonder how long he was standing there.

"You okay?" he teased as he came to sit next to me.

"Yeah, just Alice being Alice," I replied completely omitting what we had been talking about.

"Well she is Alice after all," Edward went along before leaning over to kiss me. "I'm going to jump in and out of the shower and I'll be right in, okay?"

"Don't take too long, please. I missed you," I whined with a pout. Edward chuckled and disappeared into the bathroom.

I picked my phone back up and started reading my facebook updates. Nothing really held my attention as I started to think about Alice's earlier words in her text. Of course, Edward walked out seconds later before I had gotten too far into my thoughts but still I wondered what would happen if I tried? I wasn't sure I could take the rejection if he told me no though, so I pushed it all aside in my head as the bed dipped down next to me.

Edward opened his arms up and I immediately scooted over so that I could snuggle up to him. We didn't say anything at first; instead he used his hand to brush up and down the side of my arm and my back.

"So, are you still keeping your secrets?" Edward broached and I hadn't even thought he'd bring that stuff up.

"What do you mean? With your aunt or earlier?" I asked and looked up at him.

"Both," he answered as I sighed. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I'm just curious."

"Well, your aunt told me that I couldn't help clean up because I was a guest and then she upgraded my guest status and told me to get off my butt to do dishes, which was why I was laughing when you walked in," I explained and I could feel his chest vibrate under my ear.

"That's a pretty fast upgrade, babe. Did she say something to you or," Edward's voice trailed off.

"She's just worried because we're young," I replied, which essentially what her fear is, but he didn't need to know the rest.

"I see," he answered. "She didn't say anything about church did she?"

"Oh no, nothing like that," I quickly clarified. "I think she's just worried like any mother would be."

"Okay," Edward accepted and I knew he was happy with my answer. I then had to weigh how to address the second half of his question.

"I really like your aunt and uncle, and their house is really beautiful, but when you said you wanted to buy a house out there did you mean like the same area, same community?" I asked as I tip-toed across the line of trying to be honest yet not offensive, while deciding how to pose my next statement. Obviously Edward came from money, I had to in some ways, but not like he had.

"I meant the area," he answered. "I saw the way you looked when we first pulled in, your face was pretty easy to read."

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I don't want to offend you, but I don't want a house like that."

I moved up so that my face was in line with his on the pillow and I rolled so that I was facing him.

"I love you, in fact, I love every part of you, but I don't want extravagant, and their house is extravagant to me," I told him honestly and then waited to see his reaction. I figured he could go one way or the other, but I hoped he wouldn't think I was picking on his aunt and uncle.

"What do you want?" he asked and I had to admit that question surprised me because it was so simple. Here I had expected some sort of argument and all he wanted was to know what I wanted? Could things really be that simple?

"I'm not sure, I know I want a house with a yard, maybe a hot tub or a pool, a swing set is a must, but inside I want it to be manageable. I want it to feel homey and I want to be able to clean it myself without needing a maid or a cleaning service. I want artwork on the refrigerator and dirty shoes by the front door. I really want a fireplace though and a comfortable couch with bookcases filled with books along the wall. I want a house filled with laughter and happiness and hope and honesty and safety, I guess I kind of do know what I want," I finished and looked down. Edward hadn't taken his eyes off of me as I spoke, and his expression never changed.

"It sounds like you do," he told me quietly as he adjusted his body over mine as he propped himself up on his arm. "Bella, will it make you feel better if I say I want the same? If you don't want a big house, I'm fine with that. I know money sometimes goes to people's heads, but I've tried very hard not to let it go to mine, and I promise my needs and wants aren't extravagant."

"I know, it's just…" I sighed not sure what else to say.

"It's okay, I get it," he informed me before leaning down to kiss me. Instead of pulling back after a few seconds, Edward actually pressed his lips deeper into mine as I moved my hands to his shoulders. My mind was starting to go blank in the daze he was putting me in, until I felt Edward's hand under my shirt and on my back. The simple sensation made me moan through our kiss and then groan as he pulled away. We both looked at each other, both slightly out of breath, and though I waited for him to pull away I realized I didn't want him to. This was more than just a peek of sexual frustration, after today, hell, especially after today, I wanted this, I wanted him, and I so badly wanted for him to want the same thing. To hell with my cast, he couldn't hurt my ankle any more than my car did and if I stayed on my back and just bent my knees, he couldn't hurt me and it wouldn't hurt him. I realized I was rationalizing everything in my head while Edward just continued to look down at me, almost like he was searching for a clue as to what I was thinking.

"Bella," his voice finally broke with a crack. I couldn't read his expression, but he looked torn, and I would have had to have been naive not to realize that a certain appendage was physically poking my thigh as he continued to lie next to me.

"Don't," I ordered. "Not today, please don't stop," my voice stuttered as I worked to control my emotions and desires. "Please, Edward. I want this, I want you."

"Oh, Bella," Edward whispered as he hovered over my lips. He gently pressed a kiss on my lips before pulling away to move his lips to my ear, "I have never even dreamed of wanting somebody, as badly as I want you right now." While his words caused a shiver down my spine, his lips on my neck set a flame to my entire body.

I had never felt anything quite like I was feeling and I couldn't tug at Edward's shirt any harder for fear of actually hurting him. His lips didn't detach from my neck though he moved down very slowly as his body moved to settle between my legs. He seemed to pay special attention to where my cast was at all times, but at that point, I wasn't sure I could feel pain even if he knocked it.

"Off," I finally ordered my voice breathless as I pulled at his shirt until it was over his head and tossed to the side. While my own shirt had ridden up during our make out session, the heat of his skin just on the bare strip of stomach that lay exposed made my back arch slightly at the touch. Edward appeared to smirk before moving down and gently pulling off my shirt. I wasn't wearing a bra and with the lamp in the corner still on, I knew there wasn't much of me that was hidden from him anymore. All that covered either of us was very thin fabric from the boxers, which I didn't anticipate wearing much longer.

Time seemed to have frozen as we both spent time kissing and exploring each other's bodies, though I didn't move much, Edward trailed kisses from my neck down to my breasts over my stomach and back up to my nipples, which he spent several minutes lavishing over. I had never realized how good it could feel to have his mouth and tongue sucking and teasing me as he trailed from one to the other, but at that moment I wasn't sure there was anything Edward could do that would elicit a response from me.

I took a deep breath when his fingertips dipped under the waistband of the boxer's I had been wearing and I knew Edward was sensing my nerves because he looked up at me before proceeding. I wasn't a virgin, per say, but I definitely lacked much experience and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous for Edward to see me naked. But somehow, as the boxers were pulled from my body, my nerves seemed to drift away despite laying open and bare for Edward's eyes to see.

"Don't be nervous," Edward whispered as he tossed the boxers to the side. "Baby, you're gorgeous, even more beautiful than I had dreamed, and I wasn't sure that was possible."

I stifled a laugh momentarily wondering how he could even form a complete sentence right now as I felt like a pile of goo before him.

When his hand came out and touched me my body actually jumped a little at the sensation and given Edward's reaction I would say he was pleased, because he continued to use his fingertips to rub up and down my clit for a few seconds longer. I would be lying if I said I didn't love the foreplay, but I so desperately wanted to feel him inside of me that I actually raised an eyebrow at him and then looked at his own boxers.

He nodded his head, but before he removed anything he reached over to the nightstand to pull out a condom.

"I'm on the pill," I told him quietly as his eyes snapped up towards mine. I knew with the history of his past that probably wouldn't give him any comfort, but I felt like he should know just in case. I was protected and I took my pill religiously, I wasn't on any medical that would interfere with it, so condom or no condom, I was okay with either. "If that makes you more comfortable its fine, I just wanted you to know that there is a backup."

"Thank you for that," he replied and I could see the debate going on in his head just by his face. He looked down at the condom and then over at me like he was weighing his choices, when he sighed and continued to open the package I knew his decision was made and I wasn't the least bit offended. We weren't ready for children yet and doubling up on birth control was not a bad idea at all.

My eyes didn't move as he removed his boxers though I did bite my lip a bit once I actually got to see it. I had known he was big from his comments and then the morning in my room, but to see it in person was a totally different experience. I knew there was no way I wouldn't feel that and for a second I wondered if it was going to hurt fitting inside of me.

With the condom in place, Edward pulled the blanket up over his shoulders as he came to hover over me.

"I'm going to take this slow, sweetheart," he told me sweetly, as I nodded.

"I trust you, Edward," I whispered back as I felt his body line up with mine moments before he pushed his way inside.

"Dear God," he moaned out breathlessly seconds later as I groaned a little before shifting my hips. I wasn't virginal, but it had been a while, and I had never been with someone as big as him. "I love you, baby." He started to kiss and suck my neck, which was all it took for me to be lost in the sensation while he slid the rest of the way inside of me.

"I love you," I managed to whisper back as he began to rock his hips into mine. I moved my knees up slightly which seemed to make things more intense for both of us as we seemed to let go of shaky breathes in unison.

"Does it hurt at all?" he asked as he continued to rock, but I shook my head no. The initial entrance was slightly painful, but that feeling was long gone as a feeling of butterflies seemed to build inside my stomach.

My answer pushed Edward to move faster with more precision in his movements, one of his hands rested under my knee as he raised my good leg almost to the height of his shoulders.

The angle pushed me over the edge I had been teetering on since we started and I came down crashing into a million pieces, moaning and stuttering out screams I was almost too embarrassed to claim.

"God, yes," he groaned hoarsely as I crashed and he crumbled. I could feel his movements become more ragged and uneven as his breathing turned to short gasps into my neck. His shoulders blades flexed under my touch as I continued to hold myself close to him. Our bodies both slowly calming down as we both came back to reality.

Edward's lips came to find mine in a hungry, needy pull for attention as I surrendered myself up to him for the taking. The only thing I wanted to do was feel that over and over again, as the aftershocks of my orgasm still pulsed through my body.

Even after he pulled away to roll away from my body I could still feel my heart pounding and I wondered why we had waited so long to do that.

"Bella," Edward called my name as I turned my head to his attention and caught sight of the condom he had been wearing that was covered in blood. My eyes widened before I moved my hands up to cover my face in complete embarrassment. I wasn't due for my period for another week, so I knew it wasn't that, which meant it really had been a while.

"I'm so sorry," I immediately apologized, but Edward just shook his head silencing me.

"Let me help you to the bathroom and I'll clean the bed up," he offered and I accepted because I had no other choice, though I knew my cheeks were about as red as my thighs. I couldn't even remember bleeding this much when I lost my virginity, but one night with Edward and I was back to square one.

Because I couldn't take a traditional shower, I basically took another bath just without the bubbles and in half the time.

Edward brought in another shirt for me to wear, but I still had a hard time looking up at him. He didn't press and moved to hop in the shower himself as I exited the bathroom to find he had changed all of the sheets already. There was also a bottle of water on the nightstand waiting for me next to my phone. His thoughtfulness was not lost on me and I wondered how I'd face him once he got out of the shower.

When Edward finally came back out of the bathroom he turned the lamp off immediately before climbing into bed and taking me into his arms. I wasn't sure whether or not he'd want to talk about what we had just done, so I waited to see what he would do, despite my exhaustion kicking in. In truth, I wasn't really ready to talk, but I would if he wanted to.

"I love you, baby," he told me a few seconds later.

"I love you, too," I replied and snuggled deeper into his chest.

For the next several minutes all I did was focus on his heart beating under my ear and his hand as it trailed up and down my back. The morning was already going to come too soon so as my eyes began to close, I didn't even bother trying to fight it as I gave in to the best sleep I had ever had.

**So, I'm sorry this is so late. Life really didn't get super busy, but that actually wasn't why. I had written this chapter in full shortly after I last updated and ended up hating the direction it went into. So I've kept my word doc open and added a bit each day until I got it perfect. This chapter was a bit more difficult than most, but it's also almost 7K words long so hopefully that makes up for it. The next update shouldn't take me as long, I promise! **


	38. Thread

Word Prompt: Thread

Waking up the next morning was difficult, but only because I was so comfortable in Edward's arms that I didn't want to move. It wasn't the first time we had slept together in the same bed, but it was the first time that we woke up in the same position we had fallen asleep in. My head rested on his chest with my arms curdled up under me, while his arms wrapped protectively around me. I refused to open my eyes for even a second because I didn't want the bubble surrounding us to burst and the reality of it being Monday to truly set in. However, my back and side had other plans as I moved to stretch away the aches from being on my side all night long. Even my ankle throbbed a little, but I wasn't sure if that was because of our sleeping position or how active I had been the day before.

When I did finally open my eyes I realized Edward was still in a deep sleep as I managed to extract myself from his side without waking him up. I scooted over to the edge of the bed before raising my arms above my head to loosen up my back before I stood up and made my way to the bathroom. I glanced at the clock and was surprised that it was only six in the morning, since I typically slept much later on Monday's.

I didn't spend a long in the bathroom before walking out and debating on what I should do next. I could get back in bed and try to fall back asleep, but I was a pretty awake so I didn't think that would work. Or, I could go see what Edward had bought for breakfast and make it, but that involved standing on my ankle which hurt. I could also turn on the TV, but that didn't sound appealing either. As I continued my debate, I decided that I needed to find some sort of pants to wear so I quietly opened the top drawer Edward had pulled the shirt I was wearing out of to see what else he had. Of course, I should have figured that it would be organized neatly, but I pulled a pair of sleep pants out and worked to put them on.

When I spied the sheets Edward had left in a pile in the corner I decided I should wash them before doing anything else. If I started them now, I could probably get them dried before we had to leave. I hadn't noticed any hydrogen peroxide in the bathroom so I hopped the laundry room would be stocked with some sort of stain remover; otherwise I wasn't sure they'd even be salvageable. Last night had been a new experience on a few different fronts. First, we had sex and it was amazing. Absolutely, positively amazing and I actually felt it which was astonishing to me. But, I also bled everywhere. When I was going through puberty my mom had given me a book about how my body was changing and what to expect, and it actually talked about bleeding during sex. It had mentioned that you could bleed after you had lost your virginity, but since I never bled again I never thought much about it. I internally pushed the thoughts away and wrote it off as size plus time, but I wondered if it freaked Edward out. He didn't act like he did, but he also hadn't said much before he went to sleep, but before I got too deep in thought and if I had any hope of getting the sheets cleaned, I needed to find the laundry room.

I opened four doors total before I actually found the washer and dryer. I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to how big Edward's condo was, but I was happy to see a big bottle of Tide on the shelf even if there was nothing to treat the stain with. As I walked out and closed the laundry room door after starting the washer, I realized that I had only killed about ten minutes and now needed to actually figure out something to do until Edward woke up.

Since I had forgone my crutches on my way to the laundry room, I decided to go grab them before heading into the kitchen to see what he had bought the night before. If it was something like doughnuts or cereal I would have been happy, but when I saw orange juice, butter, coffee, creamer, bread, cheese, bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns I realized Edward had bigger plans for breakfast than I had expected.

Fumbling around the kitchen to find everything I needed to cook was an experience and cost me about twenty minutes in and of itself. Judging from the brand new look most of the appliances, dishes, and pans had, I was guessing Esme shopped and most were just taken out of the boxes before being stored, never actually being used first.

I set the coffee maker up before turning towards the food I had pulled out from the refrigerator. While it took me a few minutes to find a casserole dish, I decided on a breakfast casserole since I could easily assemble it, pop it in the oven, and get off my feet. My ankle was starting to hurt a bit and I knew I'd have to take a pain killer at some point, though I would avoid it for as long as possible. I was starting to think it was more to do with the cast than my actual ankle and I was counting down the hours until my appointment in two days when they'd be cutting it off. Part of me was worried that the scar would be hideous, and I had to laugh at being excited about a walking boot, but I was so over the cast, the shower bag, the crutches…etc.

The accident had changed quite a few things in my life and while the dust had settled, I was ready to be able to walk normally again. Of course, I was thankful that my injuries weren't any worse, but with homecoming and Edward's semi-formal coming up, I knew, even in a walking boot, I wasn't going to feel normal. But, there was next year and I continually reminded myself of that. At least my parents had accepted the news of me pledging a little easier and when I look back at my time in the hospital, I saw how quickly and how easily it brought me and Edward together, and I wasn't going to begrudge that. Part of me felt like I wanted to speed up the next few years to just get past school, but the other part of me was really excited to experience it all with him by my side.

I was so deep in thought that the buzzer going off actually startled me, but I put the magazine I had been looking at back down on the coffee table and got up from the couch.

It wasn't until I was setting the casserole down on the stovetop that I felt two hands rest of my hip. As I pulled the oven mitts from my hands and placed them on the counter, I rested my back against Edward's chest.

"Morning," he whispered into my neck.

"Good morning," I replied happily as I glanced at the clock. It was only seven fifteen which gave us plenty of time to eat and get back to campus. I also needed to check on the washer, but instead I just leaned into Edward as he moved his hands from my hips to my stomach to half hug me. "Are you hungry?"

Edward hummed a yes before peppering my neck with small kisses. "I could get very used to this," Edward told me, but I wasn't quite sure what he meant. Waking up with me in his house? Me making him breakfast in the morning? A little of both?

I turned my body with his arms to face him with a smirk. "You could, huh?" I teased.

"Yes, I could," he replied with a serious tone, but the glint in his eye gave way to his true feelings. Of course, him hardening was also hard to miss as I pushed myself closer to him before raising myself up on my good leg so that I could peck his lips. "Do not taunt me, Bella," he warned in a low, breathless voice, "I think I've proven that resistant is futile when it comes to you."

"Then why bother resisting?" I asked innocently with a shrug.

When Edward's lips came crashing into mine I knew breakfast was long forgotten and I was only momentarily happy that I had made something we could reheat, before Edward lifted me up and carried me back to bed.

There was nothing slow or sweet about what transpired after we had hit the bed, but I didn't care. Seeing Edward turn into a caveman was actually a pretty big turn on and I definitely reaped the benefits, and once it was all over I was happy to glance down and not see any traces of blood. Of course, that made me groan because I remembered I still had sheets to dry, but I was too tired to move out of Edward's arms in that moment.

"Now, that I could get used to every morning," I joked as my breathing finally calmed down.

"That good, huh?" he returned with a cocky tone. When I slapped his chest playfully and scowled up at him the cocky smile on his face cracked into a laugh. "Sorry, I couldn't even keep a straight face."

"I could tell," I supplied before moving my head back to his chest and sighing. "But, yes, you really are that good though."

This time, Edward actually barked out a laugh before telling me he loved me.

We did eventually eat the food I made, and I did change over the laundry much to Edward's dismay.

"I can do it, Bella," Edward tried to explain, but I shook my head no.

"I'm already walking over there, it's fine," I told him and headed down the hall. I was surprised to see the sheets had come completely clean before I tossed them into the dryer and turned it on. When I turned around and saw Edward leaning against the doorframe I actually jumped with a squeak.

"Are you okay?" he asked out of concern as his hands shot out to steady me.

"Yeah, yeah," I replied as my heart pounded. "I hadn't heard you follow me."

"Okay," his voice trailed on as we exited the laundry room. "What's the big deal anyway?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to make sure they wouldn't be stained," I brushed off like it was nothing. I glanced over at Edward to see a look of realization flash over his face, but I knew I needed to keep a straight face if I had even a thread of hope to ignore the potentially awkward talk we could be stepping right into.

"I wasn't really worried about that," he told me, I think in an effort to downplay my comment.

"I know,' I said as I took a seat on the couch and put my leg up on the chaise, "But I was."

"It's just a set of sheets," he replied as he took the seat next to me. I didn't say anything else about it, but Edward just looked over at me. "Did you want to talk about that?"

I shrugged my shoulders and avoided looking at him. Did I want to talk about last night? Not really, but I had a feeling he did.

"It just caught me off guard," I explained. "Then I saw the sheets this morning and figured you'd want them clean. No big deal."

"Okay," he accepted while he wrapped his arms around me. "I don't want to leave."

"Neither do I," I agreed with a sigh. "We have to though."

"I know," he replied. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Dinner with Alice," I answered and I could feel him nod his head. "You?"

"I have a meeting with the officers and I need to catch up on a paper I put off this weekend."

"Well, I have a pledge event tomorrow night, so I'll see you Wednesday?" I asked, at the bare minimum we would have a class together.

"We can do lunch, but we have a pledge thing that night and it is going to run late," he answered as I looked up and pouted. "Now you see why I don't want to leave."

"At least this weekend we start homecoming events and we'll see each other for a lot of that," I reminded him as he nodded.

"Yeah, and then the hotel Friday night," he added. "And, the next weekend in Forks with your folks."

"Do you have everything with the hotel reserved and all of that done?" I asked. I knew Edward had a lot on his plate and was going to offer to set it up if he hadn't.

"Yes, it's all taken care of," he replied and I nodded.

"I would offer to pay for half of it if I didn't think you'd be offended," I joked, though I was really serious.

"And that is why I love you, you're smart," he goaded. "And, I would be offended."

"That's why I didn't ask." I sighed as I leaned into his chest staring as the clock ticked on.

"We should get back," Edward announced a minute later.

"I know," I replied and ten minutes later we were back in his car.


	39. Dark

Word Prompt: Dark

"I feel like I didn't get to see you at all this weekend," Alice complained as we settled into our table at Olive Garden. This place had sort of become our thing and she had even asked Jasper to borrow his car so we didn't have to catch a taxi. Of course, Jasper was tied up in officer stuff at the fraternity house so I was sure he wasn't going to miss his precious ride for a few hours, but still it was nice of him to trust her with it.

"Well, you kind of didn't," I pointed out as she rolled her eyes.

"Still, how did Sunday go? I know you were nervous about going to Edward's aunt and uncle's house," she asked as I kind of chuckled.

I then retold her about the incident with Edward's parents at the church which had her laughing her head off a little louder than would be deemed polite.

"Hold on," she cut me off, "You quoted Matilda?"

"What?" I exclaimed, "It was the first thing I thought of."

"I get that, but I wish I was there," she said still laughing, though her tone had lowered only slightly. When the waiter came over with our salad and breadsticks I was pretty sure he thought we were crazy, but still I continued on.

I then pulled my necklace out from under my shirt. It was a cooler day and I had managed to keep it hidden through our class earlier so I could surprise her at dinner with the story.

"Is that?" she choked and leaned forward to check it out, "Oh my God, he lavaliered you."

"Yeah, we were late getting to Carlisle and Esme's because he stopped off to give me this," I explained as I smiled remembering how nervous I was when I sat down on the bed and waited for him to come out of the closet.

"Where was it? What did he say?" she begged for details, but I froze for a second as I picked up my glass to drink in an effort to stall. I had promised Edward I would keep his secrets safe and that meant his inheritance and his condo, but did that include Alice? I assumed Jasper knew the truth, but maybe he didn't? Instead, I decided to improvise and ask him later.

"It was in the car, he pulled into a park and we took a short walk. It was gorgeous and he basically just said that he was waiting until semi-formal to give it to me, but he didn't want to wait anymore," I lied easier than I thought I could. "It was really special."

Thankfully in Alice's excitement she didn't think anything was amiss and never questioned my story, so I continued on to details about lunch and then lied again when I said we checked into a hotel room for the night.

"Hold on, why did you check into a hotel room?" she asked suspiciously, but I shrugged as my cheeks undoubtedly turned scarlet. "Hold on, are you saying? But we texted and you said, wait, you did?"

I nodded my head in confirmation as she put her hands over her mouth in shock. "Yeah, well, I wasn't expecting to. I had sort of asked about it at the park, but he mentioned my cast being an issue, but then it happened and we just made due. It was, well, there aren't words to describe yesterday."

"That good, huh? I figured he would be," she said nonchalantly, but it took me by surprise as my eyes widened. "What? He loves taking care of you and it shows, so I didn't figure he'd be greedy."

"True," I replied as I thought about that. Edward was an amazing boyfriend, so it wasn't that far of a stretch to assume he would be amazing in bed too, or, at least, not selfish or full of himself.

"Well, I'll be," Alice said, "I don't see you for one weekend and like everything happens."

"I know, this weekend was a whirlwind, but I won't really see him until Friday," I whined with a pout. "Well, I'll see him in class on Wednesday, we have our debate, but we're both really busy this week."

"That sucks," she agreed as my phone went off. When I picked it up I realized I had a text from Emmett with an attachment. In only a second a picture uploaded of Edward with a cooler full of water and ice being dumped over his head. Shocked I read the caption, 'Your boy paid his dues tonight.'

I passed the phone over to Alice as she started to laugh. "Better than the wrapping paper I had to help Jasper undo just so he could get clean clothes out of his dresser." She had a point.

"Still, I feel bad," I replied absentmindly as I shot Emmett a text back.

'_I thought in a fight you'd pick my side? Do you know how territorial I can be?-Bella'_

And then, shot Edward a text, _'I'm sorry about the cold water, I hope I'm worth it. Love you-Bella'_

I looked back up at Alice just as our food arrived and my phone went off again.

'_You wouldn't.-Em'_

'_Wanna bet? I'm a girl, I'm also more creative.-Bella'_

'_Dammit Bella, it's tradition, you can't fault me for a tradition.-Em'_

'_I wouldn't count on that.-Bella'_

'_Fuck!-Em'_

"Let me see," Alice asked and put her hand out for my phone. When she read it she cracked a smile before it beeped again, and she handed it back to me.

'_I would take a million ice cold baths if it meant I had just an extra minute on this Earth with you. I love you with all of my heart, Bella, you will always be worth it. Call me when you get done with dinner.-Edward'_

Tears formed in my eyes as I read his text and Alice put her hand back out.

"That is really sweet, Bella," she said in a sweet voice. "You two are perfect for each other."

"Yeah, we really are," I agreed before putting my phone back in my purse and focusing back on dinner.

We managed to eat our food as Alice filled me in on her weekend. She had been a sober sister with Natalie and the use of Jasper's car and it had gone really well. On Sunday she spent most of the day with Jasper exploring the city a little bit.

"Oh, I made our hair appointments," she announced as we hit the topic of homecoming week. "We're back to back so I can drive you, then we have a mani pedi right after next door. Jasper is going to give me his car so we can just drive together to the hotel to meet up with them since they'll be there early, is that okay?"

"Sounds good. Thanks for booking those." I had meant to get that done this week, but now I didn't need to worry about it. "I'm really excited about this and I didn't even like going to Prom. I read the hotel has a Jacuzzi that I will be using a lot."

"Will you be able to swim?" she asked and I shrugged.

"Maybe, I can take the boot off as I need to but I'm supposed to keep it wrapped, but I figure the Jacuzzi is fine," I answered and she nodded.

We talked a bit more about the coming week and all of the activities the Tri-Delta house had planned. Between the parties, parade, and spirit week activities planned I knew I wouldn't have much time to relax or sleep, but I was still pretty stoked.

Alice dropped me off at the dorms before heading over to the ASP house to drop Jasper's car back off to him.

Once I got inside my room I texted Edward that I was going to take a quick shower and get into PJs and then I'd call. I took my time washing off as I just sat in my shower and relaxed as it beat down on my skin. I was not looking forward to sleeping alone, but when I heard a knock on the door a few minutes after I got out and put my PJs on I realized I didn't have to.

"I was just about to call you," I told Edward as he stepped inside.

"I'm sorry," he apologized as I shut the door. "I really wanted to see you."

"You don't have to apologize for that," I replied as part of my heart grew just a little bit larger for him, though I wasn't even sure how that was possible.

"How did your paper go?" I asked.

"I actually got it finished this afternoon before the meeting. Once I sat down it finally just came out the way I wanted it to sound, so I plan on re-reading it tomorrow for edits and it should be good to go," he answered and I was happy that he wasn't putting off the paper for time with me.

"Wanna watch a movie?" I asked, and he nodded with a smile.

"Do you mind if I get comfortable?" I shook my head no as he disappeared into the bathroom. I flipped through my ream of DVDs before deciding on a movie we should both like. When Edward passed the curtain in sleep pants and a tank top I had to suppress the urge to smile knowing exactly how long he planned on staying.

"Is Alice coming back tonight?" he asked as he got into the bed behind me.

"She should be at some point," I answered. "She had to bring Jasper's car back."

"Okay."

Alice did come back an hour into the movie, but she just waved and disappeared behind her curtain. The room was already dark and I could tell Edward was starting to dose off next to me. We had made it most of the way through the movie before I turned the TV off and rolled over into Edward's arms.

We definitely weren't in the comfy King sized bed anymore, but we were together and that was all that mattered.

**I hit publish and then realized I didn't leave an a/n on the last chapter-sorry about that! Hope you enjoy this, time will be zooming by pretty soon as this starts to wrap up. Happy 4th of July! Stay safe and have fun...in that order! **


	40. Frency

Word Prompt: Frenzy

Life seemed to settle down after the frenzy week that was homecoming. The semi-formal the ASP boys put on was extraordinary and an amazing break before midterms. My time spent at the Tri-Delta's house rose with each passing day as they held more events, parties, and meetings. Things with Edward were great, as always, and I finally felt content.

When Edward and I drove to Forks I spent the first day just showing him everything about the small town I grew up in. We ran into a few people from high school here and there, but for the most part, we just hung out with my parents. My mom dotted on me and my dad and Edward went on a mini fishing trip. Though he had never fished in his life, Edward came home and said it was fun.

Rosalie continued to invite me out whenever she met up with Esme and after about the third get together I stopped feeling like the third wheel. Being away from my mom was harder than I ever expected it to be, but spending time with Esme seemed to ease the homesickness I'd get every once in a while. I learned more about the volunteer and charity work that she was a part of, and I had to admit, if I could be even half of who she was I would have done well with my life.

I still had another four or five weeks with the walking boot on my foot, but I had gotten used to it. Being able to take a shower without a bag was the highlight of my day my cast came off and during twin's day with Alice I about cried when she came out of her room with the same outfit and walking boot on. She had apparently gotten with Edward who had gotten with Carlisle who suggested a medical supply store she could find one at. Her thoughtfulness was never ending, but I was happy that it would be off before Christmas.

With life moving by so seamlessly time just seemed to drift on as September turned into October. The parties were getting livelier as everyone anticipated Halloween, but I was excited for another reason. Part of Edward and Emmett's Halloween tradition was to dress up and pass out treats and toys to the children at the hospital Carlisle worked at and Edward asked me to come with him.

Of course, with contentment came a lowered guard unfortunately lowered a bit too soon.

"Are you doing a couples theme?" Rosalie asked as we looked around the costume shop. Alice was also joining us since Jasper planned on pitching in, as did a handful of ASP buys and Tri-Delta girls.

"He didn't mention one," I answered as I looked at an Alice in Wonderland costume. "Alice you should get this one."

She cringed and shook her head, "For the first five years of my life I was Alice in Wonderland. I will never choose that one."

"Well, at least we know how you got your name," I joked and she rolled her eyes. "Maybe I should get two costumes?"

"Why two?" Alice passed behind me as I looked at a sexy vampire get up.

"Well, classy for the hospital, and…" I let my voice hang as I picked up the slutty vampire outfit and showed it to them.

"And, here I thought you didn't have it in you," Rosalie teased as Alice gave a thumbs up.

"Maybe." I shrugged and continued looking around.

"Two costumes is a good idea," Alice announced a few minutes later when she walked up to me and Rosalie with a slutty nurse outfit.

"I think Bella needs that one," Rosalie told her as I rolled my eyes.

"That would be so clique," I told them, but Alice just looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "Okay, maybe a little perfect. Give it to me."

We only stayed for another twenty minutes before we were all costumed out. I did buy the slutty nurse costumes though I hadn't decided on if I actually use it, but I picked up a Little Bo Peep costume for the hospital. It was cute and modest, and since I wanted to stay away from medical and trampy, it fit the bill. Alice was going as a teacher, though I noticed she bought the sexy school girl outfit too, and Rosalie decided on an angel. She told us she already had the slutty stuff at home.

We hit up the deli down the road and were just finishing up when I got a text from Edward.

'_Where are you?-Edward'_

'_Deli on 5__th__ with Rosalie and Alice, about to leave.-Bella'_

'_Are you headed back to campus?-Edward'_

'_Yes. What's wrong?-Bella'_

'_I'm around the corner, can I pick you up?-Edward'_

"Um, do you guys mind if Edward grabs me?" I asked as I looked up from my phone.

"Is he here?" Alice asked, but Rosalie looked suspicious.

"No, he's around the corner," I told her.

"I don't mind," Rosalie finally said, but I noticed her checking her phone like she was looking for something. "Is everything okay?"

"I don't know, he didn't say anything was wrong," I replied as we cleared our table and stepped outside right as he pulled up.

"I'll put the costumes in your room," Alice told me as I said goodbye and hopped into Edward's car.

The first tip that something was wrong was the text, the second was him not getting out of the car to open my door, and the third was undoubted the hat and glasses he was rocking when I got in.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked after he turned in the direction of his condo. I wasn't sure where we would be heading and was thankful that it was Friday and I had nowhere else to be.

"Just wait," he told me in a quiet, strangled tone.

I wasn't exactly sure how to react to that, so I simply did what he asked and waited. The drive to the condo was only about ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity as every red light seemed to mock me. I had never seen Edward like this and wondered how serious the problem was. Had I done something? I didn't think so, but who really knew. I realized I was rubbing my necklace a little too rough when my finger actually throbbed from scratching one of the diamonds. I put my fingertip into my mouth to soothe it catching Edward's attention. His hand shot out and took mine as he rubbed the small scratch on my finger. His action, of course, put my mind at ease that I had made him mad or upset, but it still begged the question of what was wrong because he was not acting normally.

When we stepped off the elevator we both walked to the bedroom. I pulled my wrap out of my purse before sitting on the bed and taking my boot off. It only took me a second to get the wrap on before I scooted up to where Edward laid. His arms welcomed me in as I placed my head on his chest.

Time seemed to stand still as I waited for Edward to speak. I focused on the beating of his heart as his hand trailed up and down my back. I waited patiently before he said the one thing I never expected to hear.

"My parents are getting a divorce," he said quietly as I reacted by looking up at him in shock.

"What?" I managed. Of all the things I expected to be wrong, something with his parents was one of them. Elizabeth and Edward Sr. had dropped off the map after the incident at the church so hearing this was a shock because it made me wonder how Edward even knew.

"My mom called me this morning and asked if I'd meet with her. I'm not even sure why I went, but something in her voice just sounded off so I agreed to meet her for breakfast. She dropped that bomb on me," he explained as I propped myself up.

"I'm sorry," I said unsure of what else to say. What did you even say to someone who just found out their parents were separating after so many years?

"Do you have anywhere else to be?" he asked as I shook my head no. "Can we just lie together for a while? I just want to hold you."

"Of course," I replied before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Edward."

"I love you," he told me as he kicked the blanket up over his feet. I reached down to pull it up over us as I settled back down on his chest. I could tell Edward was deep in thought as he pulled me closer to him. I closed my eyes as the warmth of his body and comforter surrounding me. It was obvious that Edward was deep in thought and if lying down with him somehow gave him peace than I would do it.

I wasn't sure how long we laid there before I fell asleep.

When I woke up, Edward was still sleeping, but his phone was going off like crazy. I had never touched his phone before and I hoped he wouldn't think I was snooping. I realized Emmett, Carlisle, and Rosalie were all texting him worried when he didn't answer the first time.

I rolled out of bed and put my boot back on before grabbing my purse and phone to see Rosalie had tried calling me too. I called her back as I walked out of the room, taking Edward's phone with me.

"Hey, are you guys okay?" Rosalie said the second she answered the phone.

"Yeah," I replied still a little groggy. "We fell asleep, we're fine."

"Carlisle is so worried about Edward," she told me as I went on to explain that he was still sleeping. Rosalie told me she would call Emmett and Carlisle to call off the search and I promised to call her if anything changed.

My stomach started to grumble once I put the phone down so I walked into the kitchen, but didn't find much. It had been over a week since the last time we had come out here and we always brought enough food the day. I managed to find a box of crackers, but I knew that would only placate me for an hour or two. There were a few take out menus on Edward's refrigerator, but I had no clue how to go about ordering. I had never asked for the address and while I knew there was a lobby area, we always entered from the garage side so I wasn't even sure how to get there.

I sat down and flipped through the channels for about fifteen minutes before the phone near Edward's elevator started to ring. I knew it was there, but never actually picked it up before so I hesitantly went over and answered it.

"Hello," I said into the receiver.

"Who am I speaking to?" the voice on the other end asked.

"My name is Bella Swan," I answered unsure who was asking.

"Miss Swan, I have a Mr. and Mrs. Carlisle and Esme Cullen who would like access to the condo. Can you accept or deny?" he asked, and I wondered if he was the front doorman.

"I accept," I replied and he told me to expect them up in two minutes.

I waited by the doors a little dazed from the conversation I just had. Edward was still asleep and I had no clue if I was even allowed to give such an order, as this wasn't our condo, but his. Nevertheless, the elevator door dinged signaling their arrival and I had never wanted to kiss Esme before until I saw tht she had brought food.

"Hello, Bella," Esme greeted, "We're sorry to drop in on you; Rosalie called to tell us where you two were."

"It's okay," I replied as I ushered them in. "Edward is still sleeping though."

"That's alright,' Carlisle said though he seemed to be a little lost in thought. It hadn't missed my notice that he was dressed in his work clothes and I wondered if he had come straight from the hospital.

"We brought dinner, I hope that is okay," Esme explained as she set two large bags down on the kitchen table and began pulling take out containers out of it. "I know Edward doesn't keep the kitchen filled."

"Well, you didn't need to, but thank you," I said as I looked towards the hallway in time to see Edward coming out. I walked straight over to him and wrapped my arms around him.

"Love you," he whispered in my hair. "What time is it?"

"Almost eight," I answered. "Your doorman called and asked if your aunt and uncle could come up, I said yes, I hope that's okay."

"That's fine," he told me as we broke apart and walked to the kitchen table together.

"Oh, Edward you're awake," Esme gushed and walked up to hug him. "We brought dinner, it's your favorite."

"Thank you," he stuttered out still a little groggy from waking up. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were worried," she answered him in a sad tone.

"I'm fine really," he brushed off, but I could tell it was a front.

"Why don't we eat?" Carlisle interrupted us all. Edward nodded and went to sit down next to me, but I walked into the kitchen first to grab plates and silverware.

"Is he really okay, Bella?" Esme asked me quietly as I counted out the number of forks and knives we'd need.

"I think he's still processing," I answered honestly; "I don't even know the details yet. We got here, he told me about the divorce, and we fell asleep. You both probably know more than I do at this point."

I swore I heard Esme utter something about always hating that man, who I assumed was Edward's dad, but I wasn't really sure.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Esme and I talked about some of the decorations she was doing for the booths on Halloween and Carlisle and Edward were discussing something he was learning in one of his classes. I loved Edward but the second he started talking in medical wordage I was done unless he was talking about the brain, in which case, I could hold my own. Neither Esme nor Carlisle asked flat out or said anything about Edward's parents, but I could tell they wanted to. I think they were both waiting for Edward to broach the subject, but I knew he wouldn't. I could tell with his reaction that there was more to the story, but he just hadn't had a chance to really tell me yet.

When Esme and Carlisle finally left an hour later I couldn't tell whether they were satisfied with Edward's behavior or not. At first, I thought that it was really odd to send out a 'search party' for Edward, as Rosalie had put it earlier, when he didn't answer, but then I remembered how close he was to his aunt and uncle. Maybe they assumed he'd go straight to them and when he didn't it concerned them? Or maybe there was more, but either way, with them gone I waited to hear the rest.

"I'm sorry for hijacking you," Edward apologized when he came to sit next to me on the couch.

"I like being hijacked," I brushed off with a teasing smirk. "Besides, you're pretty good company."

"If you say so," he mused while his eyes focused across the room.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" I asked after a minute. He hadn't said anything nor made any movement to do anything else, and while I didn't want to push, the silence was suffocating.

"I guess things got strained with my parents after we saw them last," Edward started to explain. "The way my mom explains it, she continued to push at him to make things right, but he had pretty much cut me off without actually announcing it. From what my mom said, things have been off with them for a while, but I wouldn't have really known because I don't see them much and when I talk to them it was never about them." Edward paused, and I could see why Esme and Carlisle would be worried.

"Do you blame yourself?" I asked. "Blame me? I mean, I did go off on them and…"

Edward shook his head and immediately interrupted me, "No, I did make my dad bang his secretary in the middle of his office when my mother walked in." His snappy tone had my eyes widen. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that as harsh as it sounded," he immediately apologized and hung his head in frustration.

"I'm so sorry," I tried to apologize, but he brushed it aside as he looked up and rubbed his face.

"I appreciate that, but you have nothing to be sorry for," he told me in a much more normal tone. "I guess I'm just still in shock. I mean, you never really expect it to be your parents, even though I don't see them a lot I guess I never figured I'd see this, and now that I know I'm going to have to take a side."

"You don't have to take either side, Edward," I tried to explain, but I could see it going in one ear and out the other.

"No, I will. The obvious choice is my mother, he had an affair and…" Edward's voice faltered as he shook his head and looked away. "After all of the lectures and all of the speeches about who I should be and what I should become and who to association with and image, image, image…for him to do this with some secretary, how can you get anymore clique then that? And then for my mom to walk in on it they've been married over twenty years and that is how he repays her? God, he disgusts me, but does that mean I just forgive and forget with my mom because these past few years she's continued to take his side?" I could feel the anger rising with each word he said and I didn't miss his emphasis when he referred to what his father used to say. He looked so angry and dejected that it made my heart hurt for him.

"Edward,' I whispered as I scooted over closer to him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "You'll make whatever decision is the best decision for you to make. Your mom is obviously the victim in the downfall of their marriage, but that doesn't mean she's a victim because she failed at being a parent for a little while. It doesn't mean you forgive and forget like it never happened, but it also doesn't mean you can't move past it and develop a new relationship with her outside of your dad. But, above all, these decisions will come in time and they don't need to be made now."

Edward shut his eyes and rested his head on my shoulder. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd do just fine," I reassured him. "You're stronger than you think you are sometimes."

"Sometimes I don't think you realize how much peace you've brought to my life, your warmth, your wisdom," he trailed on with the first hint of a smile I had seen all night from him.

"Sometimes you don't realize that I could say the same," I reminded him with a smile.

"You know I would never do that to you right," Edward said out of nowhere a few seconds later. "Bella, I would never cheat on you."

To say I was taken off guard would be an understatement as I started to piece some of Edward's anxiety together in my head. Did he think I'd think less of him because of his father's actions?

"Edward, I know that," I stated forcefully as I moved so that I could look into his eyes. "You are not your father and I am not your mother. You're Edward and I'm Bella and their mistakes aren't ours. Their past and their present isn't ours either. We won't turn into that, I won't let us." Even though Edward continued to stare at me as I spoke I wasn't sure if he believed me. I could see the turmoil behind his eyes and I wanted so badly to erase the damage done by his father, but I knew that I couldn't. To have decades worth of drilling and lectures and speeches and criticisms launched at him was hard enough, but now to see the hypocrisy at its best was shattering. I knew it would take time and patience for Edward to truly see himself for the man he became despite his father. Though for me to see Edward so low was a shock and it started to make sense why Rosalie made the comments she did when I confronted her about my warning. If this was Edward at his low, I could see the vulnerability and insecurity. "Say something," I prompted a few minutes later as we sat together.

"I'm just thinking," he replied quietly as I sighed next to him. "I'm wondering what I did right to get you in my life."

"Oh Edward." I laughed and took his face in my hands before moving to kiss him. "What am I even going to do with you?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized and seemed to break out of his daze, "I am being miserable company."

"Well, what can we do to change that?" I taunted with a smirk. "We've already had dinner and I noticed a bag of popcorn in the cabinet, so movie night?"

"Are you suggesting a sleep over?" he asked obviously catching on to my teasing.

"You once told me you loved slumber parties," I reminded him and he nodded his head. "But yes, I think a slumber party is exactly what you need."

We only made it about fifteen minutes through the movie before we became entangled in each other. I had never used sex as a distraction before, but I could see its merit for the future. I knew going forward Edward would have a lot to work out, but I wouldn't let him drown in his own thoughts. Our future was too bright to let that happen even if I had to remind him of that a few dozen times.

Halloween at the hospital was an amazing event that I felt very blessed to attend. Edward and I were at the same booth and were very diligent that each child received a goodie bag that coordinated with their wrist band color. Some had toys, some had normal candy, and some had sugar free or gluten free candy. Watching Edward interact with all of the children was a sight in itself and it was moments like that night that I wished I could film and have him watch back. He was such a good man, even if he didn't always see it.

Things between Elizabeth and Edward Sr. got bad before they got worse. After a few weeks of phone calls from his mom Edward actually had to tell her that he couldn't stand to hear any more about the divorce. She moved into a condo in the city to be closer to her work and Edward made it a point to have dinner with her once or twice a month. I had yet to be invited to any of those dinners, but Edward always came to me after and slept over.

My time as a pledge was coming to an end with initiation right around the corner. Of course, that also meant finals and while I felt pretty solid in all of my classes I still studied like a maniac. Edward and I decided that we would go home to Forks for the first part of winter break and come back to Seattle to spend the New Year with his aunt and uncle for the second half. I had been offered a room at the Tri-Delta's house that I would be taking and was excited to live less than a block from Edward's house, though I could tell he was sad that we'd be losing my single person room in the dorms. We still hadn't talked about living arrangements come summer break, since my parents assumed I'd be moving home and I was pretty sure Edward assumed I wouldn't be, I knew that was going to come up eventually.

Life was just good and as long as I didn't hyperventilate during my initiation, I would be alright.

**I'm honestly not sure how many more chapters there will be, but I have like 2 or 3 in my head. Most everyone is asking for marriage and babies, and I don't mind going that far, but next chapter will deal with initiation, winter break, spring semester, and summer. I've also been asked what I plan on doing next and I'm torn. I still work on Open here and there and I'm close to being update ready, I also have a one-shot idea I really want to do that could turn into a WitFit along with another story dealing with domestic discipline. That one however I'm not sure if ya'll want to read...I've always stayed away from the BDSM type storylines, but DD really isn't anything like DD and I'm not sure if any of ya'll read my stuff because you stay away from that theme to. Feel free to weigh in via PM or reviews. **


	41. Sugar

Word Prompt: Sugar

"Are you nervous?" Edward asked as he drove in the direction of the hospital.

"A little," I answered with a sigh as I looked out the window. The sky was grey and little flurries of snow were already falling. The snow wasn't supposed to get bad, but you never knew with Washington weather. "I'm more worried that they'll tell me I can't take it off." I looked down at my boot and cringed at the thought of having to wear it any longer.

In the past week I had been a little more daring about walking without it, just in my room or Edward's condo. The physical therapist I was seeing had cleared me for walking without the boot, but I still wondered what the new X-Rays would show.

I had made the appointment for this Friday for a few different reasons. One, neither Edward nor I had class so he could drive me, but more importantly tonight was initiation and I wanted to walk in without wearing the damn boot. When Rosalie asked me about my appointment I had lied and said they couldn't get me in until Monday because I wanted it to be a surprise, but now I second guessed whether I'd even be able to take it off.

"It'll be okay, Bella," Edward soothed as he reached his hand over to mine. Tonight was also Edward's initiation night for the ASP pledges, well, the six left, so I was equally as thankful that he could spare a few hours to spend at the doctor with me.

When we walked in the nurse greeted me and immediately sent me over to radiology. I took a deep breath as I lay down on the cold metal table and waited to hear that the tech tell me she was finished. I fastened the boot back on as she helped me down and I walked out to Edward.

"Love you," he whispered as he took my hand and swung it.

"I love you," I replied with a goofy grin before chuckling.

The wait to see my doctor wasn't too bad. When the nurse called me back she gave Edward a weird glance, but I brought him here so he could stay with me. I was pretty sure if I asked him to sit in the waiting room he would, but since it was just for my foot I really didn't mind having him in with me.

"Who are you texting with?" I asked out of boredom. I had seen him checking and typing stuff out for most of our trip.

"My mom," he replied and looked up. "She's asking about Christmas and isn't happy that we'll be in Forks. She wants to know if we can meet up with her before we leave or after we get back."

"I see," I mused not giving him a hint on which way I'd side.

The new relationship Edward was forming with Elizabeth was tense, at best, when it came to me. When they started their dinner dates Edward immediately invited me, but I said no. He didn't understand my reasoning at first, but what I wanted him to see was how strong he was even without me around. I also wanted Elizabeth to realize that Edward called the shots and it wasn't me or us, it was him. This was his mother, not mine. When he showed up after their first meet up he admitted to being glad I wasn't there because, as he put it, the woman Elizabeth was now was not one he really knew. He was getting to know this knew person and by the end of it I was pretty sure Edward now felt he was protecting me from her in a small way. That wasn't to say that Elizabeth would never see me or be cut from our lives forever, but until Edward made that decision I didn't need to be in the middle of it. That didn't stop Elizabeth from begging and pleading to see me or have Edward invite me along.

My doctor walked in before I had any more time to think about it and Edward hadn't said anything else so I figured we'd just talk about it later. I had mixed feelings about doing a holiday celebration with him and his mom, but if he really wanted me to go, he would tell me, and I would go.

"How are you today, Bella?" Dr. Randall asked me as the door shut behind him.

"Good," I replied anxious to hear the results of my x-rays.

"So, I was looking over your scans and unfortunately, I think you need to keep the boot on for another several weeks," he said as my heart dropped, my eyes widened, and it took all I had not to cry. Edward immediately stood up and took my hand obviously seeing my reaction, but then Dr. Randall's face faltered.

"You're lying," I accused as he chuckled.

"I promised Carlisle I would get you," he teased with a smirk and my shock changed to anger and I wanted to swing at him. "I'm sorry Bella, yes, you're free to take the boot off for good. I'd still like for you to avoid anything that would be strenuous to your ankle for now, that includes walking in heels, skiing, skating, those types of things. I'd like you to continue to follow up with physical therapy for the next two weeks to ensure nothing pops out of place as you adjust to walking normally full time again and keep off of stairs as much as possible for now."

"You're not kidding, I can burn this thing?" I asked as I pointed down to my leg while I continued to recover from his initial statement. Edward's uncle was going to pay for that mistake dearly as soon as I figured out a plan.

"Well, I wouldn't really go as far as to say burn it, but you can take it off," he assured me, but I was already unstrapping it from my leg before grabbing my purse and pulling out a matching shoe and putting it on. "You are hysterical, Bella. If you need anything else or something just doesn't feel right, just call, okay?"

"Yup," I replied and hopped down from the table causing both men in the room to jump. "I'm fine, can we leave now?"

"Yes ma'am," Dr. Randall replied before I turned and took Edward's hand.

When we got to the elevator I realized Edward was laughing at me as I looked at him with a stern expression.

"I'm sorry, babe," he tried to apologize, but I just continued to glare. "I've just never seen someone so happy to walk before."

"Do you wanna wear one of those for three months?" I challenged, but he raised his hands up and shook his head. "I didn't think so, don't tease me. Besides, now that I don't have a boot on anymore," I lowered my voice as the elevator pinged letting us know the doors would be opening in a second, "Just think of all the new positions we can try."

Edward gasped and I turned and winked before stepping out of the elevator. He followed a half second later, but didn't say a word until we got into his car.

"That was faster than I anticipated," he told me as he pulled onto the main street. Edward planned on dropping me at the dorms with Alice so he could help his officers set up for the night, so with everything I'd need back on campus I wondered what his plans were now that we had a spare hour or two.

"Yeah, it was," I agreed not sure what he was getting at. "I want revenge though."

"You'll think of something." Edward chuckled like he had expected me to say that.

"But what if I need your help to pull it off?" I asked and I caught Edward glance over at me with a smirk. "It'll be perfect," I said and told him of my plan.

By the time we got to his condo he had agreed to help me, but it became apparent that my devious plans were not the highest priority on his mind when his lips latched onto my neck the second we got into his house.

"Edward," I said half breathless, half moan.

"What?" he replied with a sultry tone, "You said we had new positions to try."

"Oh, God," I uttered as he lead me back to his bedroom where we spent the better part of an hour covering his entire bed in every manner we wanted to.

By the end, we were thoroughly satisfied, covered in sweat, and panting.

"Remind me to taunt you more often," I teased as I rolled into his side.

Edward let out a laugh before his arms engulfed me.

We only rested for about ten minutes before reality hit and we moved to the bathroom to get ready for our day. It was barely lunch time and I didn't have to be at the Tri-Delta's house until five, though I knew Edward needed to get back to the ASP house sooner. When I got into the shower I realized I felt stickier than normal and then it dawned on me that Edward hadn't pulled a condom from the drawer before we did anything. Normally with my boot we had to be a lot slower about things, but today we weren't. I stayed still in the shower as I debated talking to Edward about it. I took my pill at the same time everyday, so I wasn't incredibly worried about me, but was this going to be the new norm? Was Edward comfortable with that?

I second guessed everything even as I got out of the shower and dried off. By the time I got dressed, Edward was already in his jeans and ASP hoodie. When he looked over at me I realized that he realized his error. I stood still and waited for him to react.

"So, um," he stuttered and rubbed the back of his neck. I could tell he was nervous once he opened his mouth, but I shrugged my shoulders and walked over to him.

"It's okay," I soothed quietly. "I've got us covered."

"I know you do," he snapped, not really out of anger, but very sudden. "We just hadn't talk about that and then I screwed up and…"

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked and he sighed.

"We don't really have time to right now," he said and looked down at his watch.

"I agree," I noted with a nod. "How about this? Do what you're comfortable with in the future, I don't care."

"You don't care?" Edward repeated back very slowly like he was surprised.

"Yup," I replied and walked out of the room while he processed what I said. If I let Edward over think this, he would, that was just how he was, and I accepted that, but it didn't mean I had to be wrapped up in it. I also learned over the past several months that when I shrugged my shoulders and showed him it wasn't a big deal to me, it never seemed to overwhelm him.

Edward didn't say another word about it during the drive back to campus. He did however hold my hand the entire way there and I was so happy to be able to jump out of his car on two feet. Of course, I kissed him goodbye first and promised to text him when I was done at the Tri-Delta's house.

When I got into my room I started pulling stuff out for the night ahead. I knew Alice would be down in a few and I needed to make sure I had my black dress ready. All of the pledges would be dressed alike tonight and I couldn't wait to finally be a full-fledged sister. While my time as a pledge seemed to zoom by, I was really thankful for the relationships I had with all of the sister's. Alice was by far my closest friend, but Rosalie and even Stephanie were close in line, as was Natalie, Regina, and Catelynn. I loved all of the girl's and to finally be over with pledging and stressing about rules and hours was going to be nice.

Alice knocked on the door before swinging it open. She always gave me a warning, but never waited long enough for me to answer. While she had all but moved back upstairs, she continued to keep a key to the downstairs room.

"Hey, Olive Garden?" she asked and then looked down at my leg. "Jazz gave me his car, where is your boot?"

"I'm boot free," I told her as her eyes went wide. "Doctor cleared me this morning."

"Oh my God, yeah!" Alice cheered and jumped up and down. After moving in together Alice and I got closer, but there were times were I'd swear I'd see guilt written across her face for me being in the accident instead of her. I was thankful it wasn't her because where my car pinned me, would have pinned her even higher and she would have probably gotten hurt worse than I did. After all, I had several inches of height on her, but I never actually vocalized that. Still, I was happy to see her so excited and now maybe I wouldn't see the guilt.

We were lucky to come in after the lunch rush and be seated immediately. Olive Garden was 'our' thing, but today we did not have all the time in the world.

"So, he just," Alice cut herself off, "Did E freak?"

"I think he wanted to," I admitted with a cringe. "I think it had more to do with seeing if I freaked and since I didn't, he didn't. I told him I didn't care. I've been on the pill for years now, so it's not like I forget it or anything."

"Still," she cut in with a duh look written over her face, "That is a serious amount of trust Edward is showing you. After what he went through, I mean, you guys are like…forever."

"Don't I know it," I agreed and I saw our waiter approach so I quickly changed the subject. "You do remember the day you first talked to Jasper you told me you were going to marry him don't you?"

"Of course I do," she hushed me. "But I'm me, I just know these things, and with the way you two started out I wasn't sure you were ever going to get your heads on straight."

"Well, I'm for one glad we did," I noted with a laugh. "I can't believe how much has changed in just one semester of college, what is the next three and a half years going to be like?"

"Lord only knows," Alice muttered with the shake of her head. "Have you and Edward talked about the summer? Is he going to move in with his aunt and uncle or get an apartment while he does his residency?"

"We actually haven't talked much about it, but I'm sure he'll be in his own place," I said without lying too much. "I think what I'm going to try and do is a split summer where I spent a few weeks in Forks and then the rest of the time here. I don't want to assume though and Edward has only casually mentioned it once. If we can get through the shuffle of winter break I'm sure we'll figure out the summer."

"Yeah, I'm glad we're flying to his family so I don't have to deal with the back and forth," she remarked. Jasper and Alice would be flying out as soon as their last final was done and wouldn't be back until after the New Year. Alice folks were flying out to Jasper's hometown so it would be a huge Whitlock and Brandon meeting. I had no idea what Edward had planned for New Years since we'd be back in Seattle, but I assumed it includes his family.

"It's kind of an inconvenience to date older boys," Alice joked as I rolled my eyes.

"It's an easy sacrifice to make," I played along though she toasted to that.

"So tonight, are you keeping Jasper's car?" I asked.

"Yeah, he doesn't need it so I'm driving you and I offered to drive Natalie too," Alice told me.

"Sweet," I replied just as a text message alerted on my phone.

'_Love you. You home?-Edward'_

'_Love you, no, at OG with A. Waiting on the check. Why?-Bella'_

'_Okay.-Edward'_

"That's weird," I said as I looked up from my phone. "Edward asked where I was and when I asked why just said okay. He's gotta be up to something."

"Probably, but knowing Edward it'll be sweet, over the top, and make you a pile of putty in his hands," she teased with a smirk.

"Oh, come on, he's not that cheesy," I shot back with a mock glare.

"He is, actually," she corrected with a dismissive shrug, "But I think it's why you love him so much."

"Whatever, like Jasper is much better?" I challenged.

"He's not, but we're talking about Edward not Jasper," she reminded me.

Once we got back to campus we only had a little over an hour before it was time to head over to sorority row so we split up and planned to meet back at four o'clock.

'_I'm home now, jumping in the shower. My nerves are out of control.-Bella'_

'_Just breathe, it's almost over. 3-Edward'_

I spent longer in the shower than I had originally planned so the second I got out I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. First, the zipper got stuck on my dress so I had to yank the fabric out of the way and was thanking God it didn't rip. Then one of my earrings fell behind my desk so when I heard a knock at the door I jumped, freaked myself out, and hit my head because I was bent under it reaching for the earrings.

I didn't even look at the clock and just swung the door open figuring it was Alice. I almost turned around to get back down to grab the earring when I realized it wasn't Alice at the door.

"Can I help you?" I asked the guy standing in front of me with his hands full of flowers.

"Are you Bella Swan?" he asked, and I nodded my head. "These are for you. Have a good night, ma'am."

I looked at the large vase filled with red roses and blinked. He was gone before I could open my mouth so I let my door shut and set them down on my desk. I pulled the card out and read it;

'Don't stress, just breathe, and remember you're loved. Good luck, baby. Love, E'

Tears formed in my eyes as I read the card before putting it down and grabbing my phone.

'_They're beautiful and you are way too good to me. Love you too, and thank you.-Bella'_

I got back down to grab my earring and found it much quicker than I expected to. As I fastened it to my ear I heard my text message go off.

'_You're worth more than flowers, so, so, so, much more. All cells have to be turned off, I'll text you when mine goes back on. Good luck babe, you'll do great. Love you.-Edward'_

I sat down much calmer as I reached for my shoes and started to put them on. When the door sounded the next time it was Alice and we were on our way only a few minutes later with Natalie in toe.

"We did it," Natalie squealed in a super excited tone once the lights in the room came back on, the candles were beginning to be blown out, and a huge banner was pulled down to cover the back room that said, 'Congratulations Pledge Class of 2010!'

I looked down at my watch to see a full two hours had passed from the time we entered the house and as my stomach grumbled I could not have been happier to see the buffet of food waiting for us. The initial test was a lot quicker than I thought it would be and then when we gave our oath I actually got really emotion, but managed to hold back my tears. The excitement of not wearing a cast was definitely overshadowed by how I felt when I saw that banner drop.

Rosalie walked up with a smile and gave me a huge hug, "You're a sister!" I had never seen Rosalie so excited about anything before so it definitely caught me off guard but everyone seemed to be at their happiest. "And, I'm so glad you're wearing shoes!"

"I know," I replied at a loss for what else to say. "We need a picture." Rosalie pulled out her phone and tossed it to Alice. I looked over at her and she shrugged, "It was on silent."

We both smiled and waited for the flash to go off. Rosalie took her phone back and told me she was texting it to the boys. I didn't figure they'd have their phones back on yet so I said okay and got in line for food.

I had only just gotten seated with Alice when Rosalie came behind me and showed me her phone.

'_Awwww, my future wifey and sister in law. Hotties.-Em'_

I gasped and spun my head in Rosalie's direction. "I thought you'd like that," she said.

"Tell Emmett I may actually like him after all," I joked and turned back around to eat. I had turned my phone on, but hadn't looked at it to see if Edward had messaged me.

"What did it say?" Alice asked from my side, but I whispered that I would tell her later and she nodded.

We started talking to the sisters around us about some of the events next semester and house living. All of the pledges got put into a lottery for the extra spots they had, only five in a class of ten, and I was happy that Alice and I both got picked for a room. It would be a three bedroom with Veronica, but we'd be in the house and eligible to move into a two bedroom the next year if they had any available.

By ten o'clock the party had started to break up around the same time the ASP guys moved over. Most were still dressed in their dress shirts and slacks which catching the eyes of most of the ladies in the room, but when the copper haired boy walked around the corner I knew it didn't matter what anyone else though because he was mine.

"Hey, you," he whispered into my neck as he engulfed me in a hug.

"Hmmm, you smell good," I remarked as I took in a lung full of his cologne.

"So random," he teased with a smirk. "I told you you'd do fine."

"I know," I said with a sigh as I leaned into his body, "You have a lot of faith in me."

"How late did you plan on staying?" he asked, but I shrugged. The party had slowly been dying until they showed up, so I hadn't really figured I'd be there too much longer. This weekend I had to start packing and focus on studying for finals so tonight would be my last big party until that was all over with. "Wanna hang out for a few and head back to my place?"

He whispered the last part with a smirk and I nodded my head. Our time in the condo was becoming more frequent and we even started stocking groceries. I loved our little hide away, but I made a mental note to ask if I could tell Alice yet. It would be really hard once we lived in the Tri-Delta's house to explain our sleepovers when I wouldn't be at the ASP house.

We ended up outside by the fire pit the guys had decided to light. Edward and I huddled in his coat with a blanket wrapped around us, we were so close I could feel the warmth of his chest radiating and the beat of his heart. Once the fire heated up we didn't need to rely on the blanket as much, but it was nice to sit out in the cold sometimes, at least, I thought so.

Emmett walked up a few minutes later and showed Edward his phone while I was leaned over talking to Stephanie.

"I forgot to show it to him," Emmett remarked as I focused on what they were talking about a few minutes later.

"Show him what?" I asked a little confused.

"The picture Rose sent over," Emmett answered like I should have known that.

"I see, I believe you called us hotties," I goaded.

"I believe you told Rose you may actually end up liking me," he teased back.

"Oh Emmett, you know I adore you until you attack what's mine," I shot back with a sly grin.

"Yeah, yeah," he brushed off as I laid my head down on Edward's shoulder.

"I'm getting tired," I told Edward who had stayed quiet during the entire interaction I had with Emmett.

"Let's get out of here," he suggested quietly and I nodded with a yawn.

It took us about twenty minutes to actually get to his car as we said goodbye to everyone, got roped into more conversations, and had to explain that I was just getting tired. When Emmett said we should stay longer I just pointed at my foot and he nodded without another word. It wasn't really a lie, but it was quick out that everyone accepted easily.

The car ride over to the condo was quiet and I was so happy to see the big comfy bed that I started to crawl into it without even bothering to take my dress off.

"Really, Bella?" Edward teased with a chuckle.

"What? I'm really tired," I defended with a yawn. He just quirked an eyebrow at me while I rolled my eyes and started to pull down the zipper to my dress and tossed it to the side of the bed.

"Do you want a shirt?" he asked, but I shook my head and shed my bra before flinging it over to where my dress laid in a mess on the floor. I pulled the blanket up over me and waited for Edward to join me.

"Okay," he said before shedding his own dress attire and climbed in next to me.

I had hoped Edward didn't have any plans to get lucky because my eyes were fading fast, but I saw him reach for his phone and set his alarm.

"You looked great in that picture, by the way," Edward told me before tossing his phone back over to the nightstand. "Rosalie forwarded it to me."

"Hmmm, yeah it was cute," I replied unsure of why he was bringing it up.

"I saw what Emmett replied back with," he explained on as I started to perk up a bit.

"Yeah, she showed it to me too, I got a good laugh," I told him and tried to play it cool. We'd never had a marriage talk flat out, it was just assumed, and being realistic I was too tired to have any sort of serious conversation anyway, let alone one of this caliber.

"I was wondering if that had to do with your comment to Emmett about liking him," he asked and I realized Edward was definitely more awake than I was so I rolled up to lean on my elbow.

"Yeah, when Rosalie showed me I told her to let Emmett know that I may actually start to like him now," I answered and thought for a second, "Was that okay?"

"I would prefer that you get along with my cousin," Edward replied and I just shook my head laughing. I ended up laying back with my head on the pillow giving Edward space to roll over to look down at me. He leaned down and kiss my lips sweetly before pulling back a second sooner than I wanted him too causing my body to lift up towards his and groan at the loss of connection.

"Bella," he whispered and leaned down to kiss my neck as I recovered. I must had given him some sort of indication that I heard him because he continued to talk, "I hope you realize, that the next girl I fall in love with, will be our daughter."

And, for the first time I didn't gasp in shock because of Edward's pretty words and talk of the future. But, as he settled between my legs and re-energized my body in a way I wasn't sure was possible, I realized Alice was right. Edward would be Edward and I would become goo beneath him, but in reality, it's exactly why I fell in love with him to begin with.

**Hope you liked this, despite the delay. My eyes are fading fast so this a/n will be quick, I should have their winter break up soon. A few have asked for wedding, babies, marriage, and I'll say we'll see. I can write the future better as long as it's an overview, so expect that type of stuff, and someone suggested to death and I'm gonna have to say no to that. I only like killing off bad characters ;p I appreciate all the love and support, and I know updates have slowed down, so thank you for continuing to read this monster that I never expected to get over 2 chapters, let alone 40. Expect the coming chapters to be bulky in word count, it just seems to be how I end most stories. **


	42. Shred

Word Prompt: Shred

"He is going to freak out when I tell him," Edward told me, and I nodded with a sigh. We were headed to his aunt and uncle's house for lunch before heading out to Forks later tonight to spend a week with my parents. My mom was so excited she invited half the town over for Christmas dinner, though I felt that to be a bit overboard, I totally believed my dad when he told me that. "I'm a little nervous."

"I'm not," I said with a shrug. "They should be happy for us, I mean, it was inevitable, right?"

"That is true," Edward reasoned as he drove through the large gate and up their driveway. He was right, Carlisle was going to freak out with our news, but he'd get over it. Esme would probably offer to decorate or shop for us I was sure.

I knew Edward was more nervous than I was so I played it cool on the entire drive over. At least one of us had to keep a level head.

"It's now or never," I told him with a wink when I got out of the car. Edward, always the gentleman, had it opened and helped me stand up because of the snow.

"Yup," he popped.

Esme opened the door and ushered us in before running back into the kitchen. Carlisle walked in a few minutes later, but neither one of us had said much beyond a typical greeting. Esme was busy finishing up the soup she was making and I had taken my typical seat at the bar since I knew she wasn't going to let me help. Clean-up was one thing, but helping her cook? Never. I put my oversized purse on the back of the stool before turning around to see Carlisle walking in.

"Hey guys," Carlisle said in greeting as I waved with a smile. Edward looked like he was going to crack as his hand rubbed the back of his neck. I noticed his uncle glance at him a few times before Edward got the nerve to speak.

"Can we talk in your office?" Edward addressed his uncle with a stutter to his voice. Carlisle's expression turned almost somber though Esme's face revealed curiosity.

"Of course," Carlisle answered and they passed by Esme towards the hallway. Edward glanced at me one more time, but I smiled at him for encouragement.

"I wonder what that is all about," Esme commented absentmindedly. She hadn't stopped what she was doing, but I could definitely tell she was paying more attention to me. "I haven't seen Edward look so nervous since, well, it's been a while."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said and hopped off the stool to get myself a drink. I hoped by not engaging in eye contact that she wouldn't read through me.

"You're not a good liar Bella," Esme reminded me. "You don't have to tell me, I'll figure it out eventually. Mother's always do."

"That is true," I replied and contemplated whether I should tell Esme the news or whether I should wait until Edward was with me. Sighing, I shut the refrigerator door and turned around to see her staring at me. I felt bad as her eyes pleaded with me to spill so I did. I told her everything, though it didn't take me long, and she was in hysteria by the time I was done. I had to tell her to keep it down to avoid Edward or Carlisle hearing us as I grabbed my bag as we snuck down the hall to hear how Edward was fairing.

"Edward I don't understand," Carlisle's voice sounded strangled. "Why does this mean you have to drop out of college? You're right there, one more semester and you're in medical school."

"I'm not going to be able to juggle all of that and Bella hasn't finished school," Edward sounded so defeated it made me want to cry. "It's what has to be done. She'll finish school and then maybe I'll go back, but I can't imagine trying to juggle a family and a residency. I'm not you."

"You both have options though," Carlisle said and I could hear a fast intake of breath from both Esme behind me and Edward inside the office. "Hold on, I don't mean those types of options, but I mean you have me and your aunt. Not to mention, Seattle has some very good daycares and the hospital is teamed with a few, we have a list of recommendations."

"You really think that after I was shuffled around for most of my youth I'd do that to my own child," Edward exclaimed louder than I had heard him before. "I'm not sending my child to a daycare, I don't care how high ranked it is."

"Okay, okay," Carlisle conceded quickly. "What about your interview, isn't it right after winter break is over?"

"I already called to cancel the three interviews I had and drafted an e-mail to every hospital I put out for," Edward stated matter of fact. The last shred of hope Carlisle probably had to talk any sense into Edward had now been destroyed and I could almost feel the shift in tension just standing outside the door to the office.

"You did what? Edward, you cannot just blow your entire future because of an accidental pregnancy. I know you have your inheritance, but do you really expect to do nothing with the rest of your life? It'll get old and what kind of a role model does that set you up to be?" I could hear the anger and frustration behind Carlisle's tone as I held in any noise that may reveal I was standing there.

"I haven't figured that out yet," Edward skirted. "What I do know is Bella is pregnant, we're having a baby, and I would hope you'd be more supportive."

"I'm supportive," Carlisle snapped back. "I'm very supportive, but what I don't support is the excuse that your future now stops because of it. Babies change a lot of things but if all you do is sacrifice everything you'll never be happy. Maybe Bella can put off school instead?"

"Unthinkable," Edward said and I was wondering how long it was going to take for him to crack under his uncle's pressure.

"So, you give it all up to be a stay at home dad while she gets to finish her degree and what, work?" he asked, and I couldn't tell if he was being curious or judgmental.

"Like I said, we haven't figured it all out. It's new, we only just found out," Edward replied and I could feel his determination wearing thin. "We have to tell Bella's parents tonight."

"Her father is going to kill you," Carlisle noted and he probably wasn't lying. "Look, Edward, I love you but you're making a stupid choice and you'll regret it and when you do, I just hope you can pick up the pieces," Carlisle finished as I turned to Esme and grabbed my bag. I quietly unzipped it, but she placed her hand on my shoulder and shook her head before going around me.

"What's going on? I heard yelling," Esme asked innocently and I had to hold back a snort.

"Are you going to tell her or do I have to?" Carlisle asked, and I assumed he was talking to Esme.

"Bella is pregnant," Edward said, but didn't say anything else.

"Oh, yes, Bella was just telling me that," Esme explained. "I'm so excited for you two; you're going to make fantastic parents. She promised to let me decorate the nursery in the condo."

"You don't know the whole story," Carlisle accused, this time I assumed at Esme.

"What story?" she asked pretending not to know what was going on.

"Edward is dropping out of college to stay home with the baby," Carlisle went on. "He's going to throw his whole life away."

"Is that true?" Esme asked.

"Yes," Edward answered concisely.

"Well," Esme muttered. "I guess that is for the best, I mean, trying to juggle a new baby and medical school probably isn't a good idea."

"What?" Carlisle snapped. "You cannot agree with this, Esme. Tell him he needs to stay in school, finish what he's started so that he can provide for his new family."

"Oh, Carlisle, Edward has more than enough money if that is what you're worried about," Esme seemed so aloof I was actually shocked, but because I didn't want this to go too much further for fear of Carlisle saying things he'd wish he hadn't I decided it was my turn to enter.

When I stepped in I quickly took a look at the surrounding. Carlisle was pacing in front of his desk, Edward was sitting in the chairs in front of the desk, and Esme was near Carlisle's side. All eyes came to me as I twirled the boot I had worn on my finger and just smirked in Carlisle's direction. First he stood stunned and then a look of realization crossed over as his eyes went wide.

"You," he accused as I burst out laughing unable to keep quiet one second longer.

"You really shouldn't play tricks on people who are better at playing them," I informed him with a wink as I walked over to Edward's side.

"And, you two," Carlisle said as he looked from Edward to Esme. "You helped her!" The outrage on his face only caused me to laugh harder as I finally settled on Edward's lap. At least I could act as a human shield if he went after him. Esme was laughing, of course, but shrugged when Carlisle looked over at her. "I cannot believe you three, I was about to have a heart attack."

"Because telling me I couldn't take my boot off wasn't going to give me a heart attack?" I challenged, "Even after you knew why I scheduled the appointment for when I did."

"What? I thought it'd be funny," Carlisle lied, it was so obvious, but he tried. His face was still scowling though.

"What?" I thought this would be funny," I remarked back with a shrug. "Come on, babe, let's go get the table ready and give Carlisle some time to cool off."

Edward and I stood up and exited the office to head for the kitchen.

"I'm not sure he's going to forgive me for that," Edward whispered.

"He deserved it," I reminded him and Edward nodded.

"He did, but you should have seen his face when I told him," he told me, "I thought he was going to start screaming."

"Well, he did eventually scream," I pointed out. I moved over to the stove to turn the burner back on to warm the soup up. The sandwiches were cooling in the oven and still warm so I didn't need to worry about those, but I did pull out the tray to Edward to bring to the table.

"I love you," Edward said as he wrapped his arms around me once he came back from the dining room.

"Hmmm, I love you," I replied and leaned back to let him place a light kiss on my neck.

"One day, it won't be a lie," he whispered and a chill went down my back. He was right, one day it wouldn't be a lie, but that day needed to wait.

"As long as it's not within the next three and a half years, we're good," I teased and turned in a circle to face him.

"It could happen sooner," Edward remarked with a smirk. I shook my head at him though I knew he was only goading me. Edward and I had a five year plan and that plan was pretty solid. After those five years, anything could happen and we could fly through live on the seat of our pants, but until then, no way. Neither one of us had a chance to say anything else before being interrupted.

"Well, I'm starving now, thank you Edward and Bella," Carlisle said rather loudly as we jumped apart like two scared teenagers caught during their first kiss.

"I agree, let's eat," Esme said behind him and took over where I had left off.

**Everyone wanted to know Bella's prank on Carlisle. Back to real life for them in the next update :) **


	43. Shoulder

Word Prompt: Shoulder

The drive to Forks always seemed to pass by quickly with Edward behind the wheel. I wasn't sure if it was because he let me doze off at will or we just talked so much that hours felt like minutes, but right as the winter storm started to pass over the small sleepy town, we were pulling into my parent's driveway for our week away from the big city.

I was thankful that we managed to get into town before the snow got any worse than it had. Even though driving in the city and around campus didn't seem to bother me, anymore than an hour in a car and I'd start to feel anxious. My doctor assured me it was normal and even offered a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication. I had turned him down, but made a point to talk to my mom at some point for other things I could try first. I still hadn't been behind the wheel of a vehicle and I knew that would be a test in it's own right.

"Home sweet home," I murmured as the low purring engine turned off. "Are you sure we can't tell them the news as we're leaving?" I asked one final time looking over at Edward with a pout.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Edward asked as his focused changed to me. His eyebrow arched and I knew it was to challenge my pleading look, but I shook my head no confidently with a small smile on my face. I was absolutely not having second thoughts, but I also hated the idea of my dad killing Edward. "Then, you have your answer. Why don't you tell them we're here and I'll get our bags." Edward leaned over and placed a small kiss on my lips.

Time at my parents was fun, but difficult in the same breath. Around Esme and Carlisle, we could kiss, hug, hold hands, or cuddle and no one would bat an eyelash. My parents, on the other hand, were a tad bit more old fashioned. Edward and I stayed in separate bedrooms, on separate floors. He was not allowed in my room, and I wasn't allowed in his. All PDA was to be kept to a minimum and if we pushed a limit, my dad was quick to speak up. In reality, most parents were probably like this, but when you're used to sleeping in the same bed a few times a week and kissing any time you want to, it becomes straining. But, the perk was, for the few days after we leave Forks, we're inseparable.

Which was why, when Edward and I discussed breaking the news to my parents about this upcoming summer, I was less than thrilled that we'd be doing it almost immediately. In reality, I knew it was the smart, reasonable, and mature decision to make, but in practice, I didn't want to see the disappointment on my dad's face. The only thing that would get me through was the undeniable knowledge that I was picking the right path. I would still come home for a week or two, but, for all intents and purposes, I was moving into the condo.

As the cold snow started to pour down around me I took a few quick steps up the driveway and under the covered porch. My hand reached up for the doorbell right as my mom swung the door open, a welcoming smile plastered on her face.

"You made it before the storm," she said happily and looked past me towards Edward. "I was worried you'd get stuck somewhere."

"Yeah, it came out of nowhere," I agreed and stepped inside, letting the warmth wrap around me. The fireplace in the living room was lit along with several candles my mom used for decoration and pretty scents.. "Where's dad? I noticed his cruiser was missing."

"Oh, someone hit a deer out by the Newton's store so he went out to assist. He should be home soon," she told me as we walked together to the kitchen. Edward would already know what rooms to put what suitcases in, so I knew he'd find us when we were done. It was probably seem rude to anyone else, but I already knew he wasn't going to let me lift a finger so I stopped offering.

"That sucks." I cringed a little at the thought of another accident, but smoothed my face over before my mom glanced my way. "It smells great in here. Are you making ziti?"

"Yup," my mom told me. "Edward liked it so much the last time you two visited I figured he would enjoy it again."

"Enjoy what?" Edward asked from behind me. I startled for a second before turning around. I hadn't expected him to get to the kitchen so fast.

"Oh, I'm just making ziti again for dinner. I hope you're hungry," my mom relayed as a bright smile took over Edward's face.

"I'm starving, but even if I wasn't, I can always find room for your cooking, Renee," Edward schmoozed her over, and I half wondered if it was because of the bomb we'd be dropping over said ziti.

"Such pretty words from such a pretty face," my mother joked with a roll of her eyes just as the buzzer sounded.

"Bella, did you want me to put the gifts under the tree now or in your room? I wasn't sure what your family did," Edward addressed me with my mother's attention focused away from us.

"Under the tree," I told him, "I'll come help you. Mom, we're going to put the gifts out."

"Okay, dear," she told me absentmindedly as she dealt with the bread she was currently buttering.

When we walked into the living room I took a second to admire my parent's Christmas tree. Unlike some families who did themes or color schemes, my family tree was filled with ornaments I had made in school, some we collected over the years, bright colorful lights, multi-colored beads, and tinsel. It may not be magazine worthy, but it was the Swan traditional tree and I loved it.

"Did you make this?" Edward asked and pulled off a popsicle stick picture frame with a picture of me in the center from second grade.

"Yup," I told him as I looked around his shoulder. "Should be from Mrs. Perkin's second grade classroom."

Edward flipped it over and nodded. "That is really neat. I don't think my parents kept any of the stuff I made in school." Edward's sad tone immediately made me look up and I caught a glimpse of sorrow across his features. I absolutely hated seeing the damage his parents had done, because I knew no matter how close Edward and his mother got now, the past would never go away. So, I did the only thing I knew and gave him a hug.

When his arms circled around my waist, I used his shoulder to lift up to his ear to whisper, "It'll be different for our kids." He hummed into my neck before we both pulled away knowing it wouldn't be long before my dad came home or my mom walked in, but when I saw sadness and defeat a second ago, I now caught a glimpse of hope.

"Yeah, it will be," he said in agreement a second later as I sat down in front of the tree. Edward handed me each gift one by one until the bag was empty and everything was displayed under the tree. We may have gone a little wild shopping this year for all of our family and friends, but I felt good about what my parents were getting and only hoped they would like it. Edward and I agreed to give each other a single present at my parents house and then one single present again when we celebrated with Carlisle and Esme. We both knew we had gotten each other more than two items, but we planned on having our own mini-Christmas once we were back at the condo.

Just as Edward gave me his hand to help me stand, the door swung open and a snow covered Chief walked through. He shivered for a second before refocusing his attention on us. He waved a quick hello before excusing himself upstairs to change.

Edward and I walked back to the kitchen to let my mom know that dad was home and to see if we could help in any way. She shooed Edward away, but loaded me down with dishes to set the table with. I rolled my eyes, despite Edward still stepping up to help me.

"Are you nervous?" he asked quietly as I laid the plates and bowls out, while he handled the silverware and napkins. I lightly nodded my head to answer him. "It'll be okay." I mouthed an, 'I know," right as my mom walked over with the casserole dish filled with ziti. It smelled amazing and made my stomach grumble all in the same minute.

"It smells amazing, mom," I complimented and pulled my focus away from the impending conversation.

My dad walked in a few minutes later and we all sat down to eat. My parents sat next to each other, while Edward and I sat parallel. Everyone dished food onto their plates and basic questions got asked like how was our drive, did we have any definite plans while we were in town, was I excited about the upcoming Christmas party, how did finals go, did I like walking on two feet. Ya know, the normal stuff.

It wasn't until the conversation started to lull and our bellies were full that I noticed Edward shift in his seat. I quietly took a deep breath before looking over at him and smiling, though not discreet enough for my mom to miss it. She narrowed her eyes at me for just a second.

"Are you pregnant?" she blurted out as my eyes widened, Edward gasped, and my father's sharp intake of breath was impossible to miss.

"Absolutely not," I snapped a millisecond later as I got my head on straight. "Why on Earth would you think that?

"Well," my mom stuttered obviously expecting to be right, "He started shifting and you just looked up at him like you were about to drop a bomb on us, not to mention you two have been a little secretive tonight. I just assumed..." she trailed off and looked over at my father who still sat there in shock.

"You assumed wrong, I am absolutely not pregnant," I said again, mostly in shock and disbelief. I even looked down at my stomach to see if maybe I looked pregnant, but I didn't see any bulge and I wasn't bloated. Edward, who had remained mute since my mother's mouth opened cleared his throat from beside me.

My father, who still appeared to be in between a mix of shock and disbelief, just looked at me like he was reading my mind. His stare was piercing and I squirmed for a second before I felt Edward take my hand.

"What is it then, Bella?" he asked, and I sighed. My mom's snap comment had thrown me for a total loop and even though I tried to remain calm, I wasn't sure this was the proper time to have this conversation after all.

As I looked between my parents and Edward I weighed my options. I knew I could tell them the truth, give them the announcement and wait for them to blow up or I could flee. And, in that second, I chose flee.

**How is everyone doing? I'm so sorry for the delay of this chapter. If you follow me on twitter you know that my little girl fried my computer with a thing of bubbles and I've been slowly getting acclimated to my new computer. I still don't have Word on it, which is what I traditionally write on, so if the format is wonky I'm sorry. I did this chapter in Google Doc, the software is on it's way. **

**Did I mention that this Chapter was fully written out when my computer died? Yeah, it sucked. **

**Anyhow, next chapter will be in a day or two and not from Bella's POV ;p **

**Enjoy! **


	44. Connect

Word Prompt: Connect

It took me all of about thirty seconds to recover from Renee's accusation, but less than five to see Bella falling apart. Part of me wanted to reach out and force her to remain in her chair so we could have this discussion with her parents, but the other part, the smarter part, knew that wasn't a good idea.

When she bolted, I expected it. Not just because I could hear the change in her tone or see the look cloud in her eyes, but also because I knew inside she was torn up. We never talked about her anxiety when I drove. It wasn't that I didn't know she still had lingering side effects from her accident, but more so because she never talked about it and I never wanted her to be self-conscious about it. I watched her, in my own way, but after a trip like today I knew she'd be anxious.

Then, there was part two. Last night when I tried to get close to her, knowing we'd be in celibate hell for a week under her parent's roof, she shied away and I knew it only meant one thing...it was that time of the month. Bella wasn't necessarily the emotional, chocolate eating girl you see in the movies, but she had her moods and I was pretty decent at gauging her reactions.

So, with all of that to consider on top of the nerves she was feeling for the conversation we were having, plus her mom's comment which through all of us, even Charlie, for a loop; well, Bella taking off was the least surprising aspect.

Still, it put me in a very awkward situation being stuck at a table with both Charlie and Renee.

"Maybe I should go after her?" Renee commented, though it seemed more aimed at Charlie than me.

"I think you've done enough," Charlie replied gruffly and for a second I thought I had misheard him. Even at Renee's worst in the hospital after Bella's accident, I had never seen him once speak out at or about his wife, so if I wasn't uncomfortable before I certainly was now.

"I didn't mean..." she stuttered obviously as shocked as I was. "What I meant was..." Her voice trailed off and her eyes snapped forward to me.

I realized I could have gone after Bella, but realistically, she probably wouldn't face me yet and the news of this summer still hadn't been spilled. I wasn't sure if Renee talking to Bella was a great idea or not, but if I could get Charlie alone maybe I could break the news I knew Bella was terrified to tell him.

"What do you think, Edward?" Renee asked out right, drawing me from my internal musings.

"I'm not sure," I answered immediately almost too deep in my own thoughts to think about what she was asking. "I'd just give her a few minutes, I'm sure she'll come back down." I lied. In reality, I wanted Bella to come back downstairs, but I knew it wasn't going to happen that way.

"Well, since dinner is over," Charlie said and moved to stand up. He was visibly upset, maybe even annoyed, but I couldn't tell you exactly what thing fueled those emotions and it made me uneasy. "Edward, why don't you join me on the porch while Renee gets this cleaned up."

When Charlie's eyes narrowed at me, almost daring me to argue I simply nodded and stood. Renee's face was blank as she began clearing the table and a small part of me wanted to offer to help, but somehow I didn't think that was in my best interest.

As I followed Charlie out to the back porch, we walked through the kitchen so that he could grab a beer before heading outside. The porch was attached to the back half of the house with two heaters that would turn on by a switch. Glass panes protected the screen during the winter time and over the summer, they'd come down to allow a breeze to travel through.

There was a basic wooden table with large chairs around it, a bar section in one corner, and a fish cleaning station in another. Charlie walked over to the table and sat down before motioning for me to follow.

"Now, what's all this about," he asked finally, his voice a little harder than I was used to. "She's not pregnant, that is correct, right?"

"Correct, she is not," I answered honestly because she certainly wouldn't be on her period if she was.

"And you don't do anything that would cause such a consequence?" he pushed, but I sat there for a second to consider my response. I knew if I was honest, he'd probably get his gun, but I also didn't want to lie. After a few seconds I decided to turn the tables.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" I questioned back though I never turned to look at him as I said it. There was no way I could honestly face him and challenge him to want the answer of whether or not I was sleeping with his daughter.

"No, I don't think I do," he replied almost to calmly as his hand rubbed over his face. "Just tell me then, it can't be that bad."

"Okay," I started with a nod as I turned to face him finally. "Bella and I have decided that come this summer, we'll be moving in together until her sophomore year starts."

After I closed my mouth, I expected a few things to happen. First, I expected Charlie to scream. Then, I expected Renee to come out, figure out what I had just said, and scream right along side him. And, three, I expected to be kicked out. Of course, I was expecting the worst and hoping for the best, but what I wasn't counting on was silence. I almost questioned whether I had truly answered his question or not as he just gave me a blank stare for nearly a minute before picking his beer up and downing it. He then stood up, walked over to the small fridge behind the bar area, and returned with another beer. About half way through that can he finally started to talk.

"I don't like it," he stated with a sigh. "I don't like it for a lot of reasons, but specifically, I don't like it because you aren't married."

"I could fix that," I joked before I had a chance to stop myself.

"Why don't I doubt that," he snorted before taking another gulp of his beer.

"Look, between you and me, it's not that I don't like that option, but being realistic, it's just not the best one right now. Bella has three more years of school, three more years of college days and sorority life, and if we got married now, she'd lose that. No one could reasonably expect her to live in the Tri-Delta House while married, so automatically she'd have to move off campus. Not only is that a bigger pain for her just to get to classes, but it alienates her from experiencing college life the way she is supposed to. I'm going to be bogged down with my residency, that I may not even have the time to be a proper boyfriend for short periods of time let alone a husband. Works is going to be exhausting, the hours are going to be miserable, and for a while, I'll be a zombie, but then it'll pass and around that same time, she'll be graduating from school..At least on campus she'll be so busy with classes, homework, events, that she won't really notice my absence when I don't leave the hospital for days at a time.

"Bella is still going into the sorority house after the summer, and I don't want to take those experiences away from her by rushing things. I also don't want to rush a wedding so we'd have time to even take a honeymoon and enjoy life before school starts up, and it's just not the right time. But, that doesn't mean I don't want her to have open access to where I live, for her to come and go as she pleases. She will always be welcomed, whether it's a weekend, a break, or the summer. Nothing will change that, so I get it, you don't like it and we're doing this backwards, but it's backwards for a reason. And, a reason I hope you respect," I finally finished talking before taking a deep breath. I hadn't paused much during my speech and thankfully, Charlie never moved to interrupt me.

"Charlie," I addressed again as he looked up at me. "Bella is my future. There isn't a question in my mind and this isn't a commitment I've made lightly. I'm done, for the rest of my life, I will only love your daughter. Whether it be today, tomorrow, or ten years from now, she's it for me. When the time is right and we actually have time to do things right, I will make her my wife. I will never love anyone else as much as I love Bella. We may not agree on tradition and order, but I hope that when you see us, you see how much she means to me."

Again he remained quiet as he seemed to be mull over my words before he stood up to grab another beer. I feared for his blood alcohol level by the time we were done talking, but he hadn't tried to grab a gun yet so I guess I had that to be thankful for.

"Where do you plan on living?" he asked once he had sat back down and cracked open his newest can. I hadn't really expected that question first, but I recovered quickly and answered honestly.

"I have an apartment in the city. It's not far from the hospital and about forty-five minutes from campus depending on traffic," I explained unsure of how much he wanted to know, while knowing I needed to give him whatever information he was asking. Charlie was acting a lot calmer about this whole thing than even I expected, I knew Bella was nervous, but somehow he became the rational one in a situation where I wasn't expecting rational.

"It's not some hole in the wall place, right? Is it in a safe area, does it have a security door or anything?" he questioned, and I could almost see his shift in attitude. He was no longer in this conversation to change my mind, instead to make sure I would be protecting his daughter and I had a lot of respect for him for that.

"Yes, it has a security system. Not only the front door, but also the elevator has it's own key and pin number. On top of that, it has a security guard posted at all times in the front lobby and a gated parking garage underground that only residents have access to," I rattled off my highest selling points for my place without realizing her parents had no clue about my inheritance. I never really told her she couldn't tell them, but until now, there was never a reason.

"Exactly how do you afford a place like that, Edward? I know you drive a fancy car and your uncle is well off, but certainly he won't continue to pay for all that once Bella is living with you. How do you expect to provide for her? Even if it is just for a few months during the summer," he asked this time with an accusatory tone that again through me for yet another loop. Immediately, my defenses went up as I realized he had assumed what everyone else assumed about what my uncle does or does not pay for. However, I reminded myself that I needed to be keep a level head with my next statement because this wasn't some frat boy trying to piss me off, this was my future father-in-law.

"First, my uncle pays for nothing. And, by nothing, I mean nothing. He doesn't pay my tuition, my room, my food, for my car, or my insurance. He certainly doesn't pay for my condo or the utilities, I do. A few years back, I came into a rather large inheritance and I've been able to maintain my expenses using the interest off of that. My uncle is too busy paying for Emmett's stuff, he doesn't need to pay for mine," I explained with as even a tone as I could muster.

"You live off the interest?" Charlie questioned and I nodded my head.

"Most of it is split up between saving accounts and investments, I've tried to manage it responsibly so that if something were to happen to me and I couldn't work, or an emergency popped up, I'd have an income regardless. I'm not flashy with money, very, very few people know about it, and I like to keep it that way," I went on and he nodded thoughtfully.

"Well then," Charlie muttered without going on. He stood up, I assumed to get another beer but stopped just shy of the door and turned towards me. "You drink?" he asked and for a second I questioned what he meant. I did drink on occasion, but I had never drank here before.

"Yeah," I answered and he nodded before returning with two cans of beer this time. When he slid one over to me I realized I had officially won. He wasn't going to fight Bella's living situation, he knew my intentions even if I had said similar things before there was no question now, and he knew I could provide for her. And, more importantly, that I would provide for her. I almost wondered if Renee would threaten to stop Bella's tuition or allowance over this, but given how Charlie reacted I was sure he wouldn't allow that, but even if he did, I'd step in. Bella would fight me, undoubtedly, but I'd win that too. She may not be my wife yet, but it didn't mean I couldn't or wouldn't treat her like one if she were forced into a situation that affected school.

Charlie didn't say anything else for a while, as we sat in silence tipping back the beers he had pulled out. I was hoping Bella was okay and that Renee had left her alone and I had every intention of going to find her before my concentration was broken.

"Two things Edward," Charlie said a few minutes later effectively bringing me back to reality. "First, you still have to get through her mother. I can't promise she'll be as understanding as I have been, but I've expected this for a while. And, second, you lied to me earlier when you said there would never be another girl you'd love more than my daughter. When the day comes that you have your own daughter, you'll know what I mean." With that he stood up and walked into the house as I sat dumbfounded for a minute.

When I finally walked back into the house a few minutes later I noticed Renee standing in the kitchen. She was leaning against the granite counter-tops almost like she was waiting for me. I walked over to the bin to throw the can of beer away before turning towards her.

"She won't talk to you?" I asked mainly trying to make conversation and figure out what I'd be walking into with Bella.

"I haven't tried," she answered as I nodded my head. "Maybe you should go up and see if she'll come back down. If not, we can talk tomorrow. I didn't mean to offend her, or you, it just, well, it seemed logically I guess but I was wrong, so I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I accepted with a shrug.I wasn't offended, surprised, sure, but offended? Nah. "We all have those moments. You're sure you don't care if I'm up there?"

"I hardly think it's a problem considering your living arrangements for this summer," she noted with an eyebrow raise. I looked at her stunned only to realized she hadn't gone up to Bella's room because she was listening in on my conversation instead.

"I see," I said, at a loss for words. "Well, I'll go talk to Bella." I wasn't sure exactly what else to say to Renee at that point, though I knew a conversation in the coming days was bound to happen. Part of me was annoyed that she eavesdropped, while parts of me was relieved that she didn't seem to care. But regardless, I wanted and needed to talk to Bella. It had been well over an hour since the events at dinner and it was unlike her to hide away.

I didn't even bother knocking on the door. Instead, I swung it open to find Bella asleep in the center of her bed with her Kindle on her chest. The lights were on, so I walked in to start turning them off when I noticed her window was opened. I closed it quickly to avoid the cold air seeping in before turning to grab a warm looking blanket from under her feet. I snatched the Kindle off her chest to place on her nightstand and covered her with the blanket. As I switched off the lamp next to her bed, Bella started to stir. When she body rolled towards me and her eyes tiredly opened I tried to hush her back to sleep so I could slip out.

"Edward," she murmured with a sleepy voice. I couldn't tell if she was sleep talking or actually awake so I simply replied with a hum. "I would say yes, if you asked, I'd say yes."

Stunned and unsure how to react, I did what came naturally as I leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I know you would, Bella," I whispered as a small smile played over her lips as well as mine.

"As long as you know," she yawned and rolled back over. "Love you."

"I love you," I replied and stood up to leave. I pulled Bella's door shut and headed downstairs to the kitchen to tell Renee what I had found. Our conversation only lasted a few seconds and she didn't push for anymore information about what she had overheard. Regardless, I was much too tired to really hold another long, drawn out talk anyway, so I retired to the guest bedroom to get some sleep.

It wasn't until I had changed into my pjs and set my alarm that I realized Bella's window sat over the porch that had been connected to the house, effectively giving her front row seats to me and Charlie's talk. No wonder she hadn't gone down.

I'd be seeking revenge for that, when she least expected it, too.

**I'm really tired so this will be short, thank you for those who are continuing to read and thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I will update again soon. **


	45. Supply

Word Prompt: Supply

"Morning," I whispered into Bella's ear as I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. It didn't look like Renee and Charlie were out of their room for the morning, so I was trying to sneak in whatever touching I could before they came down.

"Morning, I didn't hear you come in," Bella replied as she leaned back against me while continuing to flip over pieces of bacon. She was working on a buffet of breakfast food, it seemed, as every burner was turned on and cooking something, whether it be hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, or sausage. The aroma made my mouth water and I wondered if that is what pulled me out of bed so early. The guest room was only around the corner from the kitchen.

"Anything I can do?" I offered and pulled away, despite Bella's groan.

"Sure, can you make coffee?" she asked as I nodded and walked over to the far counter. The Swan coffee maker was much like my own so after fumbling to find where everything was kept, I turned it on quickly to let it brew.

"Anything else?" I turned towards Bella who simply shook her head. She was plating most of the food on a large platter she had pulled down and I could faintly hear footsteps above us roaming around. I figured we only had a few minutes before the parents descended upon us. "What are our plans for the day?"

I knew Bella had a schedule for us during our visit, but it was mainly concerning who she wanted to see, where she wanted to go, not necessarily set in stone. However, I noticed the snow had only let up a little and I didn't imagine her wanting to go too far today. When I peaked out, the roads appeared to be plowed so that was promising.

"I don't know," she answered absentmindedly a minute later. "I kind of want to talk to my mom for a little bit." Bella turned with the large platter in her hands and started walking towards the table, but the nervous features had me tilting my head.

"That's fine," I brushed off like it was nothing. "I can keep myself occupied."

"Thank you," she replied and looked down before walking over and giving me a hug. "We'll talk later too."

"Okay," I accepted unsure what else to say. I had assumed Bella wanted to talk about last night, but I wasn't too worried about it yet. While that didn't mean I was going to totally ignore her eavesdropping, I also wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. Nothing I said the night before was a secret from Bella, nor was it anything we hadn't talked about. I guess her comment caught me so off guard because it was the one area we hadn't really talked about much. Bella knew my intentions for the future, just like I knew hers, but I realized I had never spoke about it in the same terms to her, as I did her dad.

Of course, his comment about not loving Bella more still stuck in the back of my head and while I knew he was 'older and wiser' I still couldn't imagine loving a child, a daughter, more than I loved her. Equal amounts of love? Absolutely, but more? I wasn't convinced.

When I saw both Bella's mom and dad come around the corner I knew I'd need to push that all aside and focus on the here and now. I had years ahead of us before any of that would actually matter so I put on a happy face and wished them both a good morning.

"You didn't have to cook for us, Bells," her dad teased her with a wink. He grabbed a quick cup of coffee before coming over to the table.

"Well, it was the least I could, you are hosting us for a week," Bella replied with a smile before dishing out food onto her plate.

"Like that is such a hardship," he continued to goad, while Renee stayed relatively quiet. I had wondered how the morning was going to go with them, and I silently hoped that Bella would pull her mother aside sooner rather than later.

"Edward, you and I will be headed to town in about an hour," Charlie announced mid-way through the meal. I simply nodded my head since my mouth was half filled with bacon still.

"What do you need in town?" Bella piped up from my side.

"Turkey," he answered quickly. "The store had to order in some bigger birds for your mother's Christmas party this year since we're having so many people over. They arrived this morning and we need to get to the thawing process or they'll never be ready."

"Sounds good," I finally spoke up after swallowing my food. "Just the local store or out to Port Angeles?"

"Local," he replied as I nodded my head and finished my breakfast. I had only started helping Bella clean up after breakfast when Charlie came in to tell me he was going to get his truck cleaned off from the snow.

"I'm glad he's taking the truck," Bella noted though she seemed deep in thought.

"We'll be fine, baby," I whispered and leaned down to kiss her cheek. She finally cracked a smile and looked my way before returning to the dishes. "Besides, we'll be gone for a bit, maybe it'll be a good time to talk to your mom?"

"Yeah, I kinda wonder if that is his motive for taking you with him," she informed me, and if I had to wager a guess, I wouldn't bet against her.

"Probably, but it'll be fun," I mock cheered to get her to laugh. She rewarded me with a chuckle before shaking her head with a quirk of her lips. "Do you need me to grab anything while I'm there?"

"Ice cream and pickles," she joked with a edge to her voice. "You know, for the invisible baby I'm carrying." The sarcasm was dripping from her tone as she practically pushed herself from the sink and slammed the faucet handle down to stop the water.

Momentarily stunned, it took me a second to realize she was walking away from me, but just as she tried, I reached out and pulled on her arm. While she spun in my direction, her head stayed low, and I could visibly see tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Bella," I whispered into her hair as she hiccuped loudly. I heard Charlie's boots sound through the hallway before he attempted to step foot into the kitchen. Bella stayed firmly in my arms, probably oblivious, as I shook my head very concisely to let him know to leave us alone. His face went blank and for a second I thought he'd speak up before he put his hands up and backed off. With Charlie away and Renee nowhere in sight, I took Bella's hand and directed her to the back porch. "Come outside with me," I said.

She followed without saying a word, her tears slowly drying as she whipped her face. I lead her to the same table I had my talk with Charlie at the night before and sat down, pulling her on my lap and close to my chest.

"Why are you crying?" I asked patiently. I waited for her to respond as my hands rubbed her back up and down slowly.

"I don't even know," she answered quietly. "I never cry this much."

"Well, she caught you off guard," I tried to excuse though not really wanting to confirm her statement. Bella wasn't typically overly emotional. Everything was pretty black and white, and straight forward. It was half of why I fell for her so easily, she lacked the high maintenance attitude that I was so accustomed to seeing and knew I didn't want to deal with. "How did you sleep last night?"

"Horribly," she replied quickly. "I've been up since nearly four because I just couldn't sleep and when I did fall asleep, I didn't stay asleep. I'm tired, I don't look it do I?"

"No, actually you don't," I told her honestly. There were no bags under her eyes and I hadn't seen her yawning. "What was keeping you up?"

When she sighed I knew the answer; nightmares.

"What were they about this time?" I pushed while trying to stay understanding. My hand still continued to rub her back as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"The accident," she answered almost in a whisper. "They were different though."

"What was different?" I didn't want to push her too far if she was uncomfortable talking about it, but I knew last night was different, and I was pretty sure her mom's comment is what made it different. When Bella had nightmares, normally she'd wake up, but fall back asleep next to me pretty quickly. I hated knowing that she was up half the night while I slept peacefully downstairs. Rules were rules, but I would have broken them had I realized the hard time Bella was having; even if it meant sleeping on the couch together. I also knew she needed to talk to her mom about this. Not just about the comment, which was really unintentioned, but about the nightmares, the anxiety, and everything she'd been experiencing lately. Bella had told me she honestly wanted to avoid pharmaceuticals, but at this point I wasn't sure that was realistic or not. I also wanted her to know this didn't affect us, or me, as I'd continue to stand by her side as she worked to overcome this obstacle.

When I realized Bella hadn't answered me, I leaned my head to the side to look down at her. "Baby, what made it different?"

"I was pregnant," she finally responded with a blank tone. "The car hit me and I was trapped."

"Oh, Bella," I soothed as I pulled her closer to me. "I won't let something like that happen to you."

"You can't control everything, Edward," she accused, and while I knew she was right it also didn't mean I wouldn't try.

"In my dream, the car would burst into flames before they could get me out and I'd just start screaming, and then I'd wake up," she revealed almost monotone as my eyes went wide. "I felt so hopeless, and then I woke up and I started crying, and..." Her voice trailed off as she shook her head. "It was just a dream."

"A scary one, Bella," I reasoned as she shrugged. "Why didn't you come to me?" I wasn't hurt that she hadn't come to me, though maybe I was a little.

"I didn't want you to suffer and my parents would have flipped had they woken up to us in the same bed," she explained logically, but I shook my head as she sat up straighter.

"I don't care if we get yelled at, you can always come get me, hell, I'll rent a hotel room if I need to," I started spouting off as she cracked a smile and shook her head.

"Sorry for my freak out," she apologized, but it was my turn to shrug.

"We all have bad days," I excused before she leaned down to kiss me. Bella had seen me at my worst right after the news of my parent's divorce, this seemed like a drop in the bucket compared to that. I practically kidnapped her without a word and sent my entire family into a tailspin when I didn't answer the phone. "You will talk to your mom thought? About all of this."

She nodded her head and I saw the defeat in her eyes. I knew how badly she wanted to get over the anxiety by herself, but I think she was finally accepting that she may need outside help.

"I love you," I reminded her and she returned the sentiment effortlessly. "Talk to your mom and then take a nap, I'm sure your dad and I can stay busy doing stuff today."

"You sure?" she questioned and I nodded my head. "You're too good to me."

"Nothing is ever too good for you," I corrected with an eyebrow raise.

"Sure, sure," she said as she stood up. "I'm sure my dad is wondering where you are and we can't have missing turkeys at Christmas dinner."

"You're probably right," I agreed and stood up to follow her back into the house. "Do you need anything while I'm out?"

"I think I'm okay," she answered. "Though I wasn't kidding about the ice cream part."

"Got it," I noted and walked into the house behind her. Renee was sitting at the dining room table and stood up the second we walked in. Charlie was out of sight, but I brushed past Bella to leave the two women alone. I smiled at Bella before rounding the corner to grab a sweatshirt out of the guest room.

Charlie had the truck running, seats warm, and heater blowing by the time I got outside. He didn't say much as he pulled out of the driveway and turned off their street, and then, his game of twenty questions began.

"What exactly did I walk in on?" he asked point blank as my head snapped towards him and then back towards the road.

"Bella got snappy when I asked her if she needed anything at the store, tried to storm out, and I had stopped her," I replied shortly.

"Did you upset her?" he questioned and I noticed him glance in my direction. His tone wasn't accusatory though.

"No. When I asked her if she wanted anything she made a food comment and then snapped about her mom's comments from last night. Right around the time you walked in she had just started crying," I defended though I knew I didn't really need to.

"That doesn't sound like Bells," he muttered and for a brief second I wondered if it was even aimed at me.

"I know," I agreed with a nod.

"Is she okay?" he asked, his tone changing just slightly from confused to concerned.

"She's fine, some nightmares kept her awake. She's talking to her mom about them now," I answered without revealing too much. I knew Charlie was concerned, but that didn't mean he needed to know everything she shared with me.

"Does she have them a lot?" Now he seemed a bit curious.

"Mainly when she's stressed out about other things. They were more common right after the accident, they've seemed to lessen over time though," I responded.

"The comment set her off?" Charlie had turned onto the corner before looking over at me for an answer.

"Yeah, that and the drive. She still has some anxiety, especially on longer trips, which is another reason she's talking to her mom. But, last night, instead of it just being a normal accident nightmare, in the dream, she was actually pregnant, stuck in a crushed car, and she woke up around the time it burst into flames," I went on telling him more than I initially thought I would. I hoped Bella wouldn't be too angry, but I wanted Charlie to understand exactly what I meant.

He didn't say anything for a long pause, and I knew from our previous trips to Forks that were only about five minutes away from the grocery store. When he cleared his throat again, I could tell he was weighing the pros and cons of his next question. My guess was, he didn't actually want the answer I'd give. "What helps her? I mean, when it happens and she wakes up, does she always just stay awake? Is there something we can do, or buy or something?"

"I'm not sure I want to answer that," I blurted nervously. His attention snapped to me again before snapping back to the road. "Wait, not that. I just mean, we're normally together so when she wakes up, it'll wake me up enough to soothe her back to sleep. It takes a massive nightmare to even get her out of bed if I get to her first.

"I see," he muttered. "You couldn't help last night?"

"She didn't try," I replied with a sigh. I wasn't sure where this conversation was going, but I had a feeling it was going to make more uncomfortable than I was the previous night on the patio.

Charlie didn't say anything else and we made it to the store without much fan fair. He wasn't kidding when he said he ordered in some bigger turkeys, because with three loaded up in the cart, I was pretty sure they weighed about 30 lbs each just from pushing it. I did stop off and grab a thing of Bella's favorite ice cream, along with a bag of her favorite chips and candy bar. Charlie went by a list Renee had given him, but it was only basic odds and ends, so it didn't take him long to track it all down. Once we came to the cooler of beer I was a little taken back as he grabbed not one, not two, but three 30 packs.

"Planning a kegger or something? Didn't know you had it in you," I joked with a laugh, but the second his eyes narrowed my grin dropped. "What? I was kidding."

"Do you need anything else?" he asked, but I shook my head and pushed the cart towards the register. Of course, the older lady running it started fawning over Charlie, and by default, me.

"Oh, we just love having Bella back in town. She was such a good kid," Gretchen, the cashier, continued on.

"She still is," Charlie remarked with a nod of his head and a glance my way.

We paid and left about ten minutes later, but it wasn't until we were back on the road that Charlie started talking.

"Look," he began, and I actually did look over at him. "I don't like this, and I'll be honest, I'm going to regret this statement the second it comes out of my mouth, but I can't stand seeing Bella like I did this morning. And, what's worse is, I can't stand Bella being hurt and not being able to fix it. So if, and I mean if, it's in her best interest, note I said her and not you, to stay in the same room while you're here, then do it. But, I swear to God Edward, the Lord himself won't be able to save you if anything beyond sleep happens."

Stunned by not only his statement and his threat I actually sat shocked for quite a few seconds. "Okay, first, I respect you, I wouldn't do that. And second, I'll talk to Bella, but I appreciate the permission because, if I'm being honest, I was already going to break the rules if she had another nightmare tonight."

"Of course you were," he grumbled with a sigh, and I imagined his position was a difficult one to be in. I doubted I'd want to be in the same as a father to a daughter thirty years from now, but I appreciated the effort he was making. I respected Charlie for a lot of reasons, but his ability to put his child first was probably one of the strongest reasons why. Even quietly as I watched him remain at Bella's side and later learned he hid the truth from his own wife about the whole sorority thing, I knew that if I ever wronged Bella, he'd be after me in seconds. Not that I would, but he was a good example of who I wanted to become.

"I'd apologize for the thought, but you know I wouldn't mean it," I tried to ease the tension, while refusing to lie to him.

"No, I know you wouldn't, and part of that, a very small part of that, makes me want to like you more," he told me as my eyebrows raised.

"So you like me?" I goaded hoping it would break the rest of the ice that had been surrounding this conversation from the start.

"I offered you a beer didn't I?" he reminded me.

"That is true," I agreed, "That is true."

When we got back to the house, I wasn't surprised to find out that Bella had went upstairs to lay down. I helped Charlie unload the groceries, get Bella's stuff put away, and went on to help them start the thawing process for the turkey's. It would take the next few days for that to happen. Charlie ended up getting a call from work that he was needed, and Renee told me she had some work to do so she was going to scarce for a little while.

Left to my own devices and a little bored, I did the one thing I wanted to do...hunt down Bella. When I opened her door, I saw her sleeping form outlined by the comforter but she wasn't laying still. She wasn't quite trashing, but I could tell she wasn't peaceful either.

I closed the door quietly and shed my sweatshirt, shoes, and socks before climbing into bed behind her. Bella startled for a second, and I wasn't sure if she was awake enough to realize I was there or not, but she immediately stopped moving around and scooted closer to me. As I firmly wrapped my arms around her, I kissed her forehead and told her that I loved her. And when she smiled, even though she was basically asleep, I knew exactly where she'd be sleeping for the rest of our trip.

**Woo, so I'm amazed I'm even updating this. The edits probably suck and it's probably not my best, but this past week has been hell. If you've been watching the news at all and heard about the 100-Year-Flooding out of Missouri (potentially 500 year, they're still rating it) with the hardest hit town being Waynesville, Missouri...um, yeah, so that is literally the town out of our gate on post, where my daughter's cheer and go to gymnastics, where we've called home for the past 3+ years...etc. I literally live right in the middle of it. Our base has had flooding, thankfully with this move, our house has not flooded but had she not moved, we would have actually had water damage. The town I've grown to love is now in shambles, though through it all what has been amazing is to see how quickly the town has come together. I've been unstockpiling a lot for donations, bringing the kids up to the local animal shelter to help walk the dogs that can't stay with their families in the shelter...etc. Needless to say, it's been a week from hell, it's been a week of huge sadness but also hope. We're predicted more rain in the coming week, so if you could wish it away, that'd be great. **

**I'll be updating again soon-I finally have Microsoft Word back...woo hoo, so it'll be easier to write, AND when I said this would be done in like 2-3 chapters, like 2-3 chapters ago...yeah, I lied. Probably another 6-7 to go. Thank you to everyone who has continued to read, thank you for the reviews...etc.**


	46. Siren

Word Prompt: Siren

"Bella," my mom approached me as Edward left the kitchen and towards wherever my dad was. I was sure Edward knew where he was going. When I looked over at my mom I could see a look of worry and maybe even some doubt. I knew the upcoming conversation was really a long one coming, but it didn't make it any easier. I wanted to be strong enough to fend off the nightmares and anxiety without having to wave the white flag of help. I didn't want help, even now, even though I knew that I needed it, I didn't want to feel like a failure and yet, that is exactly what this felt like.

I didn't even answer her; I simply sat down at the table and waited for her to say something. First, she pushed over a mug filled with steaming hot chocolate giving me the sure fire answer that she was waiting to bombard me the second I walked in. All of our talks, even when I was little on up to my days in high school, always started with hot chocolate.

"What is troubling you?" she asked point blank, though her tone showed concern I could almost see her shift from mother to doctor before my eyes.

"I didn't appreciate your comment last night," I began quietly before taking a sip out of my mug. "I had news to share, you were right about that, but you jumping to that accusation stunned me and I couldn't regain my bearings."

"That isn't like you," she noted. "I've never seen you react quite like that before and then again outside, this is more than an accusation. Which, I do apologize for. I guess it was more of my fears talking, and I shouldn't have said it. I know you're smart enough to be responsible."

"Yes I am," I agreed with the raise of my eyebrow. "But, you're right, there is more." My voice trailed off as I stalled. "I'm moving in with Edward over the summer. I plan to come to Forks for a week, maybe two, but otherwise, I'll be in Seattle."

"I know," she told me as my eyes snapped from my drink to her.

"Edward spoke to your father last night, he was quite candid. I may have listened in a little," she brushed off with a shrug.

"I see," I replied. "You're reacting better than I thought you would."

"Well, you're not pregnant and that was my actual fear," she retorted. "To be honest, I'm not thrilled. I think you're both very young and a little more serious than I'd like. I think Edward is an amazing guy, and there is no in doubt that, but I fear that you're going to lose some of your youth as a result of how fast things have gone. I also fear that you'll become stuck in a relationship that seems perfect, but may not truly be what you want for the rest of your life," she tried to keep going, but pause as I opened my mouth to rebut. "Hush, Bella, I'm not done. Now, like I was saying, I fear things, but I'm your mother and it's my job to worry. But, with that worry, also comes trust. So, while I'm not happy that my nineteen year old daughter is going to be living with her boyfriend for the summer, I also have to trust that she knows what she's doing, and trust that if she realizes the path she's on isn't the one she wants that she'll have the strength to step off even if it's hard. I like Edward, I'd like to see him stick around, but you're nineteen Bella and you don't have all the answers in your life. So, I'm reacting how I'm supposed to, not how I want to. If this were marriage, I would be far more vocal."

As she finished talking, I realized what I was going to say in defense of her words was no longer valid. And, while a small part of me rejoiced in the fact that she wasn't going to scream and throw a huge hissy fit, the other part of me wanted to know where the catch laid; because with my mother, there was always a catch.

"You're rather quiet now, Bella," my mother interrupted my internal thoughts as I looked up. "You look very deep in thought and you're probably wondering when the other shoe will drop, so let me drop it for you now. While you are under Edward's roof, your allowance will be gone. Your tuition, sorority fees, food, and books will continued to be paid for out of your college account, your monthly allowance will remain until the summer. After that, it will not resume until you're back on campus, and that goes for any other summer or length of time you decide to live together in the future."

"Okay," I accepted, though her catch wasn't all that bad. In fact, it was far easier than I was expecting it to be.

"Now, onto the matter of your car, are you ready for a new one?" she asked as I froze. I didn't realize that we had gotten away from what I wanted to talk about by talking about what we needed to talk about.

"I don't know," I replied nervously. "I haven't even attempted driving since…"

"Edward may have touched on that, he said you were having nightmares?" she asked, this time her voice had come down a few notches and for a brief second I saw more of my mother and less of the doctor who was technically my mother.

I nodded my head and looked down, the visions from the night before still fresh in my head. Logically, I knew it was a dream, but as I burned in the car; unable to move free and yet unable to wake up, all I could do was scream about a baby that didn't even exist. It didn't even occur to me that I was crying until a tear dropped onto my hand.

"Bella, you know it's normal," she tried to explain, but I cut her off.

"I know, I know," I hushed her. "But, I hate this." More tears fell down my cheeks as I set my mug down and covered my face with my hands.

My mother stood up from her chair and started to rub my back. It was a small gesture, but I appreciated it.

"Maybe now isn't the best time to talk," she suggested. "It's my understanding that you didn't get much sleep, maybe try lying down for a few hours. We can talk later, but this isn't finished."

"I'll try," I conceded and stood from the chair. She gave me a quick hug before I took off upstairs.

Even though my body felt like lead once I hit my bed, my mind took it's time drifting off to sleep.

I wasn't sure how long I was out before I felt the bed dip beside me. I vaguely remembered moving towards the heat but it didn't occur to me that Edward was in my bed until I opened my eyes. I glanced at the clock to reveal most of the afternoon had been slept away as Edward slept quietly by my side.

Panic set in when I realized my parents were probably home, my dad was going to freak, and my mom was going to lecture. I jostled Edward lightly and whispered for him to wake up.

"What's wrong?" he asked with sleep laced through his voice.

"You're in my room," I stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "My parents are going to flip."

Edward sat up with a start and then shook his head. "Wait, wait, no, it's okay. Your dad said I could," he corrected, though he almost sounded confused.

"Wait, what?" I stuttered.

"Yeah on the drive to the store, he said if it would help you sleep and you were having a nightmare when I got in here so I lied down," he answered as I just blinked.

"You're not kidding?" I questioned in shock.

"No," he replied and lied back down to stretch his back. I rolled back over and placed my head on his chest. As his arms circled me I sighed at the warmth and security I felt.

"This has got to be the weirdest trip to date," I stated and I felt Edward's chest move as he chuckled.

"Did your talk go okay?" he asked as I shrugged and moved to sit up on my elbow.

"We didn't really talk about my nightmares," I relayed to him. "I mean, we started talking about the summer and I was so tired, I honestly may have been slurring. She said we'd talk more though."

"Just tell me when I need to be scares," he told me as his hand came up to brush some hair out of my face. I leaned down to kiss him and wanted so badly to deepen it, but I knew it would only serve in getting us in trouble.

"Thank you," I whispered as I pulled away.

Edward's cell phone sounded a second later as I rolled over to grab it off my nightstand. His face scrunched up and I asked him what it was.

"My mom," he replied and flipped his keyboard out to text something before stalling as he looked over at me. "She wants a head count for dinner."

"Ah," I said with a nod. Edward still hasn't decided whether or not he wanted me to come when he and his mom celebrated Christmas. I had told him I didn't favor either side and would leave the decision up to him. His fingers flew a few seconds later and he hit send before flipping the screen in my direction.

'_There will be two of us for dinner.' _

I raised my eyebrow at him as he shrugged with a smirk.

"I think it's time for you to start coming with me," he defended as I nodded.

"Yeah, I guess it is," I agreed before rolling out of bed to face my parents after sleeping the day away with Edward.

This was going to be awkward.

**Thank you for all the kinds words for Waynesville, slowly-very, very slowly, the water has been going down and people have been able to get back in to assess the damage. It's bad, many, many homes lost, even casualties ( a 23 year old mom was on her way to drop her 4 year old off at daycare and got caught in the floods, they didn't make it)...etc. **

**Updating again soon. **


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